A Skyful of Stars Isn't Enough
by ColorfulTurtles
Summary: This is a Nalu fanfic. Lucy is a freshman attending Magnolia University in the hopes of becoming an editor when she unwittingly meets Natsu Dragneel who falls head over heels for her, unfortunately he's Mr. Popular and she is torn between listening to her friends and giving him a chance or listening to her experiences and denying him the chance to prove her past wrong.
1. Chapter 1

"I'm home!" A young woman with long golden blond hair called as she pushed the front door closed against the bitterness of the approaching autumn, today had been the last day of her high school career and she had been anxiously awaiting acceptance letters into her college of choice, though she _had_ applied to four other colleges. None of them had replied either acceptance or decline. "Dad?" She called, pausing when she didn't receive an answer.

"In the kitchen Lucy!" He called back.

Frowning at his somewhat less of an exuberant welcoming, Lucy hesitantly strode down the long hallway and into massive kitchen and small breakfast nook "Dad? What's wrong?" She asked as she stared at her father from where he stood in front of the island staring down at it.

The older man looked up, his expression grim. "They came."

"Huh?" She prompted giving him a confused look.

"You college replies." He said and gathered them up in a stack and extended them towards her. "I haven't opened them because their yours, but please, for the love of the gods open them!"

"They came!" She cried and backed away. "All of them, what about Magnolia University?! Did MU reply!"

"Yes!" He yelled back. "They all did!"

"Oh my god dad! OH MY GOD!" She shrieked then dashed forward and swiped them all from his hands and spread them out across the counter top looking at them all. Arranging them from her last choice to Magnolia University and started with the last choice. "Accepted." she said after scanning through it before moving onto the next. "Accepted...Accepted...Accepted." She murmured then slowly picked up MU's letter and looked at her father with fear in her caramel colored eyes. "This is it dad, this is the one that matters."

"Alright sweetheart, no matter what you were accepted by four other fantastic colleges that are just as good as MU." He said reassuringly.

She nodded and slowly opened the envelope and reached in, pulling out the letter Lucy held her breath as she read through the letter then took a deep breath and shrieked, jumping up and down excitedly as she shook the paper.

"You got in!" Her father shouted over her shrieks.

"FULL SCHOLARSHIP UNTIL I GET MY DEGREE!" She screamed as tears rolled down her cheeks before she threw herself into her fathers arm. "I DID IT DADDY!"

"My god you did!" He whispered excitedly. "Your mother would be so excited for you baby girl."

Lucy buried her face into his neck and cried out her joy. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought that she would have gotten into MU. Sure she was a four point oh student, but she hadn't thought that her writing was all that good to intrigue the English board to put her on a full ride scholarship. She'd slaved away since she had reached high school, joining the newspaper club so she could work on her editorial skills and writing as well. She'd graduated valedictorian of her class with honors and on the Deans list in the hopes that she would get into MU with a scholarship, but never had she thought that she'd get a full ride scholarship. Now all she needed to do was keep her grades exceptional.

"I got to go tell everyone!" She cried as she broke away from her father to sprint towards the stairs to the second floor of their spacious home so she could Skype her friends. Launching herself into her chair after shutting her door Lucy anxiously waited for her computer to power up before going straight to her Skype and video chat calling everyone. Excitedly she waited until one by one all four of her friends accepted the call.

"Did any of you get your MU replies?" She asked looking at their faces one by one.

As one they all nodded.

"Okay, everyone who got in raise their hand on three." She said and counted off then watched as all four of them jerked their hands up and shrieked. Well, at least all but the much larger boy with the long mane of unruly black hair who cackled as he watched the girls lose their minds about all of them getting into the prestigious college.

"Lucy, Gajeel did you guys get your scholarships?" The girl with the light blue hair asked after they had all calmed down.

"Yes, full ride until i get my degree, housing included." Lucy said with an excited short squeal. "Levy they liked my writing _all_ of it, the head of the English department wants to put me in the advanced courses right from the the get go."

"Same." Gajeel said with a sharp grin. "I'm actually surprised they're lettin' me in. Didn't think that i would get in."

"What?" This snapped from the girl with the scarlet red hair. "Why are you surprised Gajeel? we have all seen your sculptures and they are impressively inspiring."

"Yea, what Erza said, you and Lucy both earned those scholarships hands down." Levy argued glaring at Gajeel. "You two worked harder then Ezra, Cana, and I put together."

"Yea," The girl with the chocolate colored hair said with a frown as she hiccuped. "You two deserve this more then us-*hic*-besides that means that we'll all finally be able to meet!" She cheered and lifted the bottle up into the air before taking a chug.

"Cana, are you drunk again?" Erza demanded, leaning close to her screen, her voice sharp.

"Yup, and i'm-*hic*-not apologizing for it!" She cheered again.

Lucy grinned as she sat back a smile spreading across her lips as she listened to friends as they joked, teased, and argued with each other. Each one of them was uniquely different from one another, not at all like the clones that Lucy had been forced to attempt to fit in with at her school, and that was why she loved these four weirdos with all her heart. It was only four hours after she'd graduated from her high school, but she couldn't wait until she was able to move to Magnolia and meet her friends.

* * *

"So, did the college give you a dorm room or an apartment?" Her father asked as she sat down with him to eat dinner that night.

"They're giving me an apartment that is mine until graduation." She told him with a grin. "Their mailing me the keys, the letter said that they should get delivered to the house in about a week. After that I can start moving into the apartment at any time."

"This is exciting, my baby girl moving off to college." He said proudly then froze a second later.

"Dad?" She prompted softly, worry sweeping through her. If there was one thing that her father was good at it was taking something so simple and overreacting to the nth degree. But she'd been hoping that he wouldn't realize that her being accepted into MU would mean that she would be moving out of Crocus and into Magnolia which happened to be three and a half hours away with good traffic until it was far to late.

He looked up at her, shock on his face before his chin started to quiver. "You're leaving me."

"No dad i'm only going off to college." She reassured. "I'm still going to come home for all the breaks, its not permanent."

"But it _is_!" He sobbed. "Once you leave you're never going to want to come back! _Wahh!"_

Lucy sighed and dropped her head into her palm as a nerve ticked on her temple. "Dad I was going to eventually move out onto my own when i finished college you know this."

"No were weren't!" He said and dramatically threw his hands up in the air before slapping them onto the table. "It's all because of that damn college that i'm losing my precious baby girl! No you're not allowed to go! You're my baby girl, you have to do everything I say!"

"Dad," Lucy said as she tried desperately to hold tight to her patience as they seemed to flutter in the wind. "I"m turning eighteen in two weeks, after that i'm legally responsible for myself and my actions, therefore I am going to move to Magnolia to attend my college of choice. But i promise that I'll visit for all the holidays and breaks. Okay?"

"You swear?" He sniffled, finally calming down at least slightly.

"Of course," She answered and nodded, smiling lovingly at him. "I'll even agree to Skype with you one to two times a week depending on how much homework i have that week."

"Okay," He said and straightened then smiled. "At least i'll have Plue here with me." He said and grinned.

"Actually," Lucy said and shrugged slightly. "They approved him so I'm taking him with me."

There was a shocked moment in which he looked at her with confused eyes before realization dawned and he threw back his head and wailed pitifully. She too had been shocked that the college had allowed her to bring along her four foot long and growing iguana that was currently roaming around somewhere. Sighing she stared at her father as he sat there his shoulder slumped and his face turned upwards as tears cascaded down his face and snot dribbled out of his nose. One would think with the way that he was carrying on he'd just been told that someone precious to him had died.

Turning back to her plate Lucy picked up her fork and continued eating as she waited for him to calm down from his tantrum.

"How could you eat at a time like this?" He wailed giving her an incredulous look while still wailing.

"Because," Lucy said just loud enough to reach him over his wails. "It's going to get cold the longer it sits here and quite frankly I don't want to eat cold steak."

He quieted as he stared at her before his face scrunched up. "You are so _mean!_ " He wailed.

Lucy sighed, it was going to be a long night if he was intent on throwing this big of a tantrum. "I know daddy, but you'll get over it."

 _"Mean!"_

* * *

Lucy settled down onto her bed with her laptop in her lap and smiled at Plue from where he stretched out on her couch and bobbed his head a few times before settling back down. "Okay so what are we going to do when we all move into the apartments?" she asked as she voice chatted with her friends.

"Um, Lu I hate to tell you this but only you and Gajeel are staying in those apartments." Levy said dryly. "The rest of us are going to be staying in the dorms becuase we don't have a full ride scholarship."

"Oh." She murmured.

"Don't feel to bad Lucy, we are going to come over and visit nearly every day." Erza reassured.

"Yea, I figured as much, i just didn't know that you guys didn't get apartments as well." She said a little embarrassed.

"Well, only full ride scholarship or really. _really_ rich students could afford them." Cana chuckled. "Almost made my deadbeat dad get me one as payback for pissing me off the other day."

"Cana." Erza growled warningly.

"Oh hush up." Cana retorted. "What are you going to do crawl through the screen to get me."

"Keep it up and i might." Erza said so sinisterly that Lucy shuddered and prayed that Cana wouldn't taunt Erza anymore then she already was.

"Alright so what are we gonna do our first night in Magnolia?" She asked as a way to distract the two from their impending argument.

"Well, i know some good places to eat as well as some pretty good hangout spots." Gajeel rumbled.

"Right!" Levy chimed in. "I keep forgetting that you live in Magnolia."

"I don't live _in_ Magnolia i live about half an hour away from it." He said with a shrug in his voice. "But yea, been there enough to know its ins and outs."

"Good." Erza said her tone brooking no argument. "Then you can show us around the town."

"Well," Lucy hedged thoughtfully. "Why don't we all make a trip out to magnolia next week so we can get the feel of it so we're not overwhelmed on move in day?"

There was a moment of silence before everyone else spoke all at once.

"That's a great idea Lucy!" Levy cheered.

"Why didn't I think of that!" Cana wailed dramatically, clearly having gotten into even more alcohol.

"Brilliant idea Lucy!" That cheered from Erza who thumped her fist into her desk at the idea.

"I guess I can show you broads around for a day." Gajeel growled. "We'll have to figure out exactly which day you're all gonna come down here."

"I'm free for whatever day." Lucy said and shrugged without thinking then blushed a little after realizing that they wouldn't be able to see her shrugging.

"How about Friday of next week?" Erza intoned. "Can we all make it that day?"

"Yea I can. And Lucy already said that she's free for any day so she can already go." Levy said a smirk in her voice.

"Then it's settled!" Cana cheered. "We'll meet for the first time on this coming Friday at Magnolia Station!"


	2. Chapter 2

It was move in day at the apartments on MU campus and Lucy was _beyond_ excited, she'd hardly slept the past three nights leading up to this long day. Grinning Lucy looked into the backseat of her car at Plue from where he lounged on the seat basking in the warm sun his eyes closed trustingly. She'd been shocked at how calm he'd been throughout the packing process since they had deconstructed the custom build habitat that she'd had built for him when Plue had turned two and had started to get big. Lucy turned her attention back to the road as she reached the campus apartments parking-lot and turned in glancing back to see the moving truck following closely behind her. She'd been lucky enough to get her keys and the go ahead two days before the majority of the students were going to be moving into the apartments. Apparently she and Gajeel, as well as some other students, had gained enough attention from the administrative staff that they had bent the rules slightly to let them move in days earlier. Normally she wouldn't have taken the special treatment, but in this case she'd leapt at the chance to miss the chaoticness of the official move in day.

And so here she was parking in her designated parking slot before she jerked with the sudden memory surge and pulled her bag into her lap and rifled through it until she found she parking permit and hooked it onto her rear view mirror so she wouldn't get her car towed. "That'd be bad, huh Plue? Not even here two days and the car gets towed." She chuckled as she climbed from her car and moved to the backseat as she slung her bag over her shoulder before pulling open the back door and reaching in. "C'mon sweetheart lets get you into the apartment and then we can reconstruct your habitat." She murmured as she settled him onto her shoulder then grinned as he climbed up and perched so he was stretched across her shoulders with his tail wrapped across her body to secure himself onto her. "Comfy" she teased as she turned and waited for her father.

"Lucy you shouldn't have him on your shoulders like that." Her father chastised as he approached after climbing down from the moving truck.

She grinned. "That's just because you're to scared to let him do this." she laughed. "Alright, now it looks like I'm on the sixth floor, but I think we can use the elevator for most of it. Right now lets do the stairs because I have no idea how Plue will react to the elevator." She said as she locked her car and back towards the building giving her father a stern look. "Don't get all weepy on me dad, I still need you to help me get everything move into the apartment."

Her father sniffed before he nodded. "Alright, lead the way Lucy, lets see what you're apartments have to offer."

She grinned as he fell in step with her as Plue took in the surroundings, safe on his perch. "I looked it up a few days ago and it says that it has a laundry mat which is great, I'll have to look into it to see if it takes quarters or what not. Oh! They also have a pool that is pet friendly so I can let him swim when it's hot and not to busy. Lets check that out."

"Alright, but keep in mind I do have to get the truck back to the rental by this evening." He said as he followed her through the complex.

"Wow." Lucy murmured as they rounded a corner and there it was, the pool. It was huge and sparklingly inviting and she glanced at Plue, running the back of her fingers across the top of his head she grinned. "Looks good doesn't it buddy." She murmured and he bobbed his head as they strode through the center of the complex looking around.

"I'm only assuming but I think that is your laundry mat." Her father said and pointed to the large bay windows showcasing the rows upon rows of washer and dryers that sat in wait for the college students.

She chuckled and playfully smacked her father's arm. "C'mon I think there's more, besides Gajeel is supposed to meet up with us so he can help us unpack, he's staying in...that building?" she said and pointed towards the farthest one away from hers. "I think that's what he told me but I'm not really sure."

Her father sighed. "Why don't you go find him and I'll go and start unloading the truck."

She turned and blinked at him. "Uh...okay."

"What?" He prompted and smiled at her. "I trust you."

"Yea, but I'm your baby girl, you've never let me wander around a strange place by myself." She said her cheeks turning red.

"Yes but now you're eighteen and you're moving out." He said and his chin quivered. "You better go or I'm going to start wailing."

Lucy sighed and patted his arm. "Okay, just...okay." With another sigh Lucy turned and hurried away from her father. "I never thought I'd say this Plue but I'm going to miss his overreactions to everything that involves me." Smiling slightly she relaxed her stride as she took in the complex while searching for Gajeel, he'd already texted her to let her know that he was done moving into his own apartment and was waiting in the center courtyard, if you could call this large expanse a courtyard, waiting for her.

"Bunny girl!" A familiar gratingly deep voice called from her left and she looked over and grinned at Gajeel as he straightened from his seat and started to stride towards her. Waving she picked up her pace toward him until he halted staring at her shoulder before he looked at her from where he was standing before he bellowed. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

She stared at him then glanced at Plue as she came within ten feet of him. "This is Plue, I've told you guys about him, he's a green iguana, he's not vicious or poisonous." She sighed at the look.

"He looks like a damn dragon." Gajeel growled as he inched closer eyeing the iguana with a wary look.

"Holly shit!" Another voice cried out and Lucy sighed as she turned her head to see a group of four guys on a basketball court with one of them plastered to the fence. "Is that an iguana?" He demanded excitedly.

"Uh, yea." She said and turned to Gajeel. "My dad's waiting for us to start unloading my stuff."

Gajeel grunted as he shifted protectively between her and the guys. "I hope you know that you're helping me unpack since I'm wasting my time helping you. Lets go reptile girl."

Lucy rolled her eyes at his tone, though knowing that he just wanted to get her away from the guys. It had shocked her at how brotherly that Gajeel had acted towards her when they had first met nearly a month ago. When she'd asked him about it he'd told her that she reminded him of a his adoptive sister so he'd just let himself see her as that, though he'd clearly seen Levy as more then just a friend when those two had set eyes on each other. "Fine, lets go grumpy pants."

"When did you get here, been waitin' for an hour." He asked when they'd started to move away from the basketball court.

"We got here like five minutes ago." She said with a chuckle then jumped at the sound of Plue's warning hiss as he tensed around her shoulder and that's when she heard the approaching footfalls of someone running up. Plue had always been a very docile iguana since he was a hatching, only ever giving a warning hiss or territorial behavior when there were new and loud people and he wasn't anywhere near Lucy, or someone had been approaching to quickly when he was on Lucy's shoulders and she had her back turned to the approaching stranger. Turning so she was between Plue and whomever was running up she reached up and ran her hand over the top of his head inwardly smiling when he headbutted her hand. She narrowed her eyes at the guy who'd plastered himself to the fence of the basketball court, and that's when she noticed his pink hair and she blinked in surprise. "You have pink hair."

"It's salmon." He defended with a slight frown before he gave her a goofy grin. "Is that an iguana?"

She nodded and rubbed Plue's head again. "Yea, he is. Why?"

"Can I pet him?" He asked excitedly.

"He doesn't really like strangers to pet him right off the bat." She said and took a step back. "And I don't like it when people run up especially when he's on _my_ shoulders. They have a tendency to flee when threatened if their hissing and tail whipping doesn't work first, and they have really long claws that can slice real easily through skin."

"Oh, right sorry about that." He said and tilted his head scratching the back of his neck before he grinned. "How bout I help you move in and then I can pet him?"

"Why do you want to pet her lizard so bad?" Gajeel growled protectively.

"He's a reptile." The pink haired guy retorted shooting Gajeel a dry look before turning his attention back to Lucy. "And I wanna pet him because he reminds me of my dads red iguana that I grew up with."

She stare at him then folded her arms and gave him a dry look. "That is the most coincidental thing I have ever heard."

"It's true!" He said with a laugh and pulled out his phone and messed around with it until he turned it and showed a picture of him with a red iguana smiling up at the camera. "See, this is Jose, he passed away five years ago."

Lucy stared at the picture before she sighed softly and shifted her weight before she glanced at Gajeel who was glaring at the guy. "First of all I don't even know who you are, second of all my dad's already gonna freak when he sees Gajeel."

"Hey!" Gajeel said and turned to glare down at her. "What the hell does that mean?"

"All of your studs and the hair?" She said pointing out the multitude studs covering his body and his thick unruly mane of black hair that reached the middle of his back.

He shrugged and reached up, tying his hair back so it wouldn't get in the way that much. "What can I say I like metal and my hair."

Chuckling slightly she turned and stared up at the pink haired guy as he stared down at her with a strange look in his eyes before he grinned again. "You can call me Natsu."

"Like the summer?" She asked in confusion.

"Yea!" He laughed. "Just like the summer! What's your name?"

"Lucy," She said and motioned towards Gajeel. "And this grumpy lug is Gajeel, a really close friend. He'll kill you if you try anything so don't." She said with a grin before turning and motioning them to follow her. "C'mon, bet dads peeved."

"You sure this is a good idea?" Gajeel murmured at her side instantly, though on the side without Plue's head.

She looked up at him and smiled patting his arm. "You're here to keep me safe until Erza gets here in a few days." She winked. "Besides I have bear mace in my bag for when I'm not with anyone to keep me safe."

He stared at her then threw his head back and let out a bellowing laugh.

"What's so funny?" Natsu asked appearing at her other side, his hands laced behind his head, his biceps flexing as if he were trying to show off.

"Nothing." She said with a smirk as she led them back through the complex.

"So why are you two here so early? I though only certain students moved in early." Natsu asked after a pause.

"You could say we fit into that category." Gajeel grumbled just loud enough.

"Oh?" Natsu prompted. "Well, since you're moving into the apartments and not the dorms you two must be loaded like the rest of us huh?"

The two of them shared a look before Gajeel turned his face away and Lucy reached up to rub the top of Plue's head. "Uh, sure."

"Wait," Natsu said and turned his body towards them. "Don't tell me you two are the colleges' first ever full ride scholarship students."

"Huh?" Lucy prompted in confusion. ' _First ever full ride students?'_ She repeated mentally.

"Yea!" He said excitedly. "MU has _never_ given anyone a full ride scholarship, rumor has it you have to be _amazing_ at whatever you submit to get into this college with a full ride."

Lucy blinked at him in shock. "Really? It's that rare?"

"Yea, my dad works here and he says that in his twenty years of working here he's only known of at least five kids that were in the consideration of receiving full ride scholarships but didn't." Natsu said with a laugh. "So are you two full riders?"

"Yea," Gajeel growled and glared at him when Natsu turned amused eyes to him. "We are."

"Holly shit what did you two get in for?!" He demanded.

"Lucy's the national best cello player," Gajeel said with a sneer when she turned to glare at him with bright red cheeks. "And she's is an amazing writer."

Glaring at him she whipped her head around. "You should see the sculptures that Gajeel can make out of rusted scrap metal." She snarled startling Natsu and making Gajeel blush as he demanded that she stop. "I mean literally he can make an almost lifelike statue, and you should hear him sing, took his choir to nationals four years in a row."

"Damnit Lucy." Gajeel snarled and stormed forwards his cheeks crimson.

Lucy folded her arms and smirked. "Mission accomplished, play with fire and you're going to get burned."

"What?" Natsu asked and she looked up to see him with a completely baffled expression on his face.

She blinked at him then felt heat wash over her face as she realized what she had done and what had been said. "I, uh...he..."

Natsu stared at her before a soft smile graced his lips and the baffled look disappeared replace with something...else. "You're dads probably getting worried, we should hurry after Gajeel."

Lucy felt her heart lurch and she nodded then turned and made a beeline towards her parking lot just in time to see her father shriek like a girl and throw a chair at Gajeel who effortlessly caught it before it smashed into him. Lucy face palmed while letting out a small sob at her hopeless father as he continued to shriek. "Why?" She murmured as she moved towards the moving truck effortlessly plucking Plue off her shoulders and depositing him in her car before turning putting her hands on her hips and moving to the open truck where Gajeel was arguing with her father, unaware that Natsu was watching the entire thing with his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. _"ENOUGH!"_ She bellowed making all three men jump at her outburst as she pinched the bridge of her nose while a nerve twitched at her temple. "I am at my limit for stupidity today, and you!" She snarled pointing to her father without looking at him. "You shriek one more time and I'm skipping the first break to come home."

"Lucy!" Her father wailed.

"Not one more wail, shriek, or moan!" She shouted then sighed. "We went over this already dad, I'm not leaving permanently."

Her father sputtered then sighed then noticed Natsu. "Who is that?!"

"Another...friend." She said then grimaced at the lie but thankfully her father was to busy looking him over to notice.

"He has pink hair." Her father told her then turned to Natsu. "You have pink hair."

"Uh, yea, and it's not pink it's salmon." Natsu said with a laugh.

Lucy looked over at Gajeel. "It's going to be a long day." She sighed.

* * *

It took them an hour and a half with all of them working over time to get the truck unloaded and everything moved up into the apartment and Plue's enclosure set up before she was hugging her father farewell and watching him drive away in the moving truck while she held Plue in her arms with Gajeel's hand comfortingly on her shoulder as she held back her tears. Taking a deep breath she turned and stared at Natsu where he leaned against her car then sighed again. "C'mon, a promise is a promise."

He grinned. "I can pet him?"

"If he'll let you, but I'm not going to put him down out here and I'm not going to be holding him when you attempt to pet him so lets go to my apartment." She said. "Gajeel you coming?"

"I ain't leaving' you with this punk if that's what you're askin'." He growled.

"Hey!" Natsu sputtered glaring at the bigger man.

Lucy sighed again as she turned and headed towards the front of her building shifting Plue to pull out her keys. "A simple no would have sufficed."

"I ain't one for simple now am I?" He retorted.

"That you're not." She agreed with a chuckle as she held the door and headed towards the stairs.

"Not taking the elevator?" Gajeel asked stopping by the elevator bay.

"No, I'm not to keen to find out how Plue does in them so I'm taking the stairs." She said and headed for them.

"Meet you up there!" Gajeel called with a cackle.

Lucy rolled her eyes as she pulled open the stairwell door and sighed at the long climb she had in store for her. She jumped and let out a small squeak as a hand lightly brushed the small of her back and she looked back and up into Natsu's face as he looked up at the stairs.

"So what floor you on?" He prompted.

"Sixth." She sighed and started the ascent into hell that was her stairs.

"Huh," He murmured. "Same as me! But not in this building, I'm in the one next to yours."

She looked back at him in time to see his eyes flick away and she narrowed her own slightly. "Really?"

"Yea." He grinned locking eyes with her as they climbed.

"Huh." She murmured and they lapsed into silence as they climbed until she sighed. "So what made you decide that you so adamantly wanted to pet Plue?"

"I dunno." He said and the shrug was heavy in his nonchalant tone. "I guess it was because he's an iguana and i grew up with iguana's, or maybe it's because you're really pretty." Lucy staggered slightly as she reached the landing to the third floor her cheeks flaming. "Whoa, you okay there?"

"Y-yea fine." She said and picked up her pace. "You know there's no guarantee that Plue will let you pet him right?"

"Yea, reptiles are finicky creatures." He agreed.

"And with how he hissed at you already I honestly don't think that you have that good of a chance." She continued.

"We won't know until we try right?" He chuckled.

"I guess." She sighed. "Look, if he bites you or claws you or tail whips you it's not my fault."

"I know," He said and put his hand on her shoulder lightly. "I know all the risks of getting close to one of these little guys, by the way he's pretty small how old is he?"

"He's four." She said and smiled down where Plue was hanging in her arms, his eyes closed and completely relaxed into her hold. "Had him since he was a hatchling."

"Huh," Natsu said with a chuckle. "Most people don't let their kids get iguana's since they grow to be pretty big."

"I, uh, kinda tricked my dad." She said with a laugh.

"Really?" Natsu said with a short sharp disbelieving laugh.

"Yea, I told him that Plue was a salamander and wouldn't get to big." She said with a laugh. "It was only after about a year when he was already attached to him that I told that truth that Plue was an iguana and he'd eventually grow to six plus feet long. And surprisingly he was okay with it."

"Wow, if my dad ever found out I'd lied about something like that he'd kill me." Natsu said.

"I thought dad was gonna for a minute before he sighed and told me that I was going to have my hands full." She smiled again as the sixth floor came into view seconds before Gajeel shoved the door open.

"Damn you two take so long." He snarled.

She glared at him. "You wanna try carrying an awkward to hold ten pound baby up six flights of stairs?"

He paled at the notion. "Shuddup and hurry up."

"Gajeel are you scared of Plue?" She teased as they reached the landing and Natsu held open the door for her.

"Quiet bunny girl." He snarled again as he backed away and headed towards her apartment taking the key ring from her when she attempted to juggle Plue to get the door open. "You're hopeless." He said as he shoved the key into the lock.

Grinning devilishly she lifted the iguana so he'd be a foot away from Gajeel's face. "Hey Gajeel."

"What?" He growled and turned his eyes going round as he stared face to face with the reptile before he barreled into her apartment to leave Natsu and Lucy howling with laughter at the terrified look on his face. "You are evil!"

"Oh but you make it so easy for me to be!" She sing-songed as she toed off her shoes by the door and then padded down the hall until she reached the spare bedroom and nudged it open with her foot. "Okay, Plue-bear this is your room when I'm not home." She said with a grin as she bent down and set him onto the floor before she striaghtned then moved to his custom made enclosure and pulled open a small panel so she could switch on the heating lamp before closing it and re-latching it.

"Holy shit." Natsu breathed staring at the massive enclosure that took up quite a bit of space. "That's one huge enclosure. How the hell did you get it in here?"

She turned and frowned in confusion. "Oh, that's right you were helping Gajeel bring stuff up while dad and I were assembling it." She grinned. "It comes apart for easy transport." She said and grinned. "Custom built, I designed it and dad had someone make it."

"No way." Gajeel growled and stared at the large L shaped enclosure that was designed to fit nicely into a corner and allow Plue to have a lot of moving room.

"Yup," She said with a nod as she put her hands on her hips. "Took me five days to come up with design for it, and three more to completely map out the lengths and how to detach and reattach everything."

"Damn," Gajeel said and nodded as he folded his arms and leaned against the doorway as he watched as Natsu crouched a few feet away from Plue and offered his hand towards the iguana. "Impressed bunny girl."

"I have some green beans that you could give him to get used to you." She said after a moment of watching Natsu trying to coax Plue to get him to pet him. "He might warm up to you then." Moving around the reptile and to the mini fridge that she stored Plue's food she pulled out a small handful of green beans and passed them to Natsu when he turned his attention to her temporarily.

"Great!" He beamed up at her with a grin. "Thanks Lucy you're awesome!"

"No problem." She murmured softly and blinked down at him a slight blush dusting her cheeks as she straightened and watched as he slowly extended one of the beans out to Plue and the iguana turned his head to stare at it before slowly inching closer until he reached out and accepted the bean from Natsu."Feed him a couple more before you try and pet him," She said when Natsu started to reach out with his hand. "Plue can be finicky towards newcomers but he's a sucker for beans, he'll get used to your scent and then you'll have a better chance of petting him."

"Wow," Natsu said blinking at her in surprise. "You're really smart."

She arched a brow and crossed her arms. "I've had him for four years, I'm pretty sure that even the dumbest of people can pick up on some traits."

He gave her a lopsided smile and chuckled. "Yea, I guess." Turning back to the reptile he continued to feed him the green beans until there were none left. "Ya ate 'em all buddy." He said and lifted his hands as if to show Plue that he had indeed had none left. The iguana gave a small hiss before he lashed his tail. "Whoa there!" Natsu hopped back slightly his eyes going wide.

"Don't worry he's just throwing a tantrum because you don't have anymore green beans." She told him reassuringly coming over to crouch next to him. "Plue-bear you'll get dinner soon, calm down." She said and smiling she reached out and scratched under his chin and instantly the iguana settled down, his eyes closing as if he were in heaven at the gentle caress, she glanced at Natsu. "There, you go you grumpy baby. He likes to throw tantrums when he knows that all his favorite treats are gone, but he generally calms down if you talk to him like he's a child and scratch just the right place." She said and moved to stroke her hand over the top of Plue's leather head as he butted his head up into her hand.

Pulling her hand back she motioned to Natsu and watched, holding her breath, as he reached out and rubbed his hand across the top of Plue's head and the iguana opened his eyes to stare up at him before he settled down and allowed the Natsu to pet him as he watched the man with close eyes. It was impressive how calm her iguana was because this was definitely the fastest that Plue had ever warmed up to anyone, normally it had taken him at least two or three encounters before Plue would ever allow someone to pet him.

"Gee this is touching an all but I've still got an apartment to unpack." Gajeel growled from the doorway.

"Right!" Lucy said and pushed herself up from her crouching position and turned. "Then I guess we should get going, c'mon." She said when Natsu hesitated.

"Awe but he just let me pet him!" Natsu whined, looking up at her with a pout. "Can't I just stay here with him?"

"No!" Both she and Gajeel shouted.

"No." Lucy repeated. "Now, come on."

Reluctantly and with one more pat to Plue's head Natsu stood and towered over Lucy. She blinked up at him as he slowly grinned at her. "You're pretty close Lucy." He murmured softly.

"Uh, s-sorry." She said and backed up a few steps her face turning red as she turned and moved to the enclosure pulling open the main door and then grabbing Plue and settling him on one of the false branches before shutting the door and latching it. "I'll be back sweetheart, I won't be gone to long." She said when Plue turned his attention to her and gave a hiss. "I know, you've been cooped up all day and I'm sorry about that." Turning again she looked form one man to the other and smiled. "Alright lets get going."

"Finally." Gajeel growled.

"Oh hush you big baby." She teased as she followed them from Plue's room, leaving the light on to give the iguana some comfort. "I'll make dinner for you tomorrow, deal?"

"You better." He said and turned to grin wickedly. "After all the crap I put up with today."

She sighed and shook her head. "I can't believe my dad kept trying to hit you with things every time you approached the truck."

"Eh I'm used to it." He said with a shrug as she finished slipping on her shoes and they exited the apartment. "People take one look at me and start throwin' things."

"Well they shouldn't." Lucy said heatedly as she locked the door behind them and they headed towards the elevators.

"Didn't you throw a shoe at me the first time that I met you?" He asked with a chuckle.

"That's because the first thing you did was slam you hand down on the table and I wasn't paying attention until you did that and it was an instinct to defend myself. Besides Levy threw her iced tea in your face because you stared down her shirt for to long then commented that she had, what'd you say? Oh yea, 'small tits'." She said haughtily as she lifted her nose in air as she pushed past him in the elevator then hit the close door button and grinned, waving at his beet red face while he stood there in shock at what she'd just said.

And that was when she realized that she was now alone in the elevator with a stranger and she turned to stare up at Natsu who was also beet red and staring down at her with a shocked expression before he threw his head back and laughed. Blushing when she realized that she'd just let some rather sensitive information about her best friend slip out to someone who was practically a stranger she face palmed at her own stpuidity.

"Levy's gonna kill me." She groaned softly.

"Don't worry Lucy," Natsu said and dropped his hand reassuringly onto the top of her head and she looked up at him to see him wiping a tear away. "I ain't gonna tell anyone. There's some things that you share and others that ya just don't."

Letting out a sigh of relief she gave him a smile. "Thanks Natsu." She straightened and stared up at him in curiosity. "So, you know what I'm here to study, but what about you? What did you get into MU for?"

"Oh, well...I, uh," He hesitated rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I got accepted into the criminal justice department."

"Whoa no way?!" She cried in amazement. "I would have never pegged you for a criminal justice major!"

"Well i never would have pegged you as a cellist." He grumbled with a blush as he turned his face away in embarrassment.

"No, no, no that's not what I meant at all!" She cried waving her hands as she attempted to take back her unintended insult. "Your hair and attitude threw me that's all!"

He turned and glared down at her. "What does my hair and attitude have to do with my major?"

Her eyes widened as she realized that she was just digging herself a deeper hole. "Ah shit!" She hissed then took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes closed and spoke as if she were writing one of her novels. "Look I'm pretty miserable at trying to convey my words through speech, I'm much better at conveying them through ink on a page, but what I intended to imply was simply that I never expected a person whose hair was salmon in color and whose attitude was much more lighthearted would ever pursue such a dark profession such as criminal justice. But be that as it may I wish you the best of luck in your pursuit of a degree." she said her shoulders bunched up in tension.

"Ya know Lucy," Natsu said and her eyes snapped open to see him staring down at her with a lopsided smile. "You're kinda weird."

Her jaw dropped before she snapped it closed and glared at him, stamping her foot unconsciously. "I am not weird!" She shouted just as the door open to show a pissed off Gajeel, turning she shrieked at the killer look on his face and she ducked behind Natsu and peeked around him. "G-Gajeel?"

"You made me take the stairs." He snarled menacingly.

"Levy will cry if you hurt me!" She wailed when he took a threatening step forward.

He froze as his eye twitched before he growled and straightened. "Fine, I guess I can let this slide then." With that he turned and strode towards the main doors.

Lucy let out a sigh and thumped her head against Natsu's back then instantly tensed as eh realized that she was clutching the back of his shirt in his hands and had just rested her head against him. "Sorry!" She squeaked before she bolted around him and raced after Gajeel her face flame red. She hugged her arms around herself with her head ducked down her eyes wide as her mind raced as she tried to understand what the hell she had just done. It wasn't that big of a deal, she knew that, but in a way it was because she had _never_ trusted a guy that much in her life ever.

The three of them fell into an easy pace as they left the building and headed back towards the basket ball court and Gajeel's building. They all lapsed into silence as they walked, none of them sure what to say to one another. Lucy for her part was currently at war with herself about what she should or shouldn't say to Natsu to try and explain herself and how she had reacted in the elevator, but every time she would take a breath and glance at Natsu she would find him watching her from the corner of his eye and he would turn and give her a brilliant smile. It was clear that he was definitely someone who got along quickly and easily with others, while she on the other hand took longer to warm up to strangers.

"Well," Natsu said suddenly drawing both of their attention as they reached the basketball court. "I should go catch up with my friends and you promised to help Gajeel unpack."

"Right." Lucy said and returned his smile.

"See ya around Gajeel!" Natsu said and lifted his hand towards the bigger man. "Lucy, see ya." He said his tone softening and picking up something more...tender?

She blinked before she smiled. "Bye Natsu." She turned and followed Gajeel into his building, letting out a pent up sigh that she didn't know she had in her as she put her hand onto her chest as if to calm her racing heart.

"You like the idiot." Gajeel stated from in front of her as he turned to stare at her.

Lucy's head jerked up and she stared at him her cheeks growing hotter before she looked away. "Yea, I guess I do. But I have no idea what to do." She said softly.

"I suggest that you talk to Levy tonight." He said as he pressed the call button for the elevator. "I ain't good with these type'a things and Levy'd get pissed if i screwed whatever this is between you and the idiot."

"There's nothing there!" she shouted stomping her foot.

"Right," He drawled sarcastically. "And I don't like Levy."

"So you admit it!" She cried pointing to him in an 'a-ha' gesture, grateful that he'd just brought about the distraction from the one topic that she really didn't want to get on with him. Because she honestly wasn't sure if there was going to be anything with Natsu, after all it _was_ only the first day it was far to early to be thinking of any possible relationships with anyone.


	3. Chapter 3

Sighing Lucy rested her feet up onto her balcony railing and leaned back in her chair as she stared at the music sheets she had in her lap, contemplating the tone she was going to set with the new piece that she was currently writing. It had been two weeks since the semester had started and already their slave driver of a music instructor had wanted them to write a small piece and present it in front of an audience as a way to gauge their potential to choose which freshman, if any, were going to join his competing symphony and who would be cut. So far there were only five other freshman that were currently working on their own pieces. And to make the entire situation worse Natsu had decided to constantly pester her about coming over to pet Plue every damn day to the point she'd stop opening her door unless she knew that someone was coming over.

Resting her head against the back of her chair Lucy groaned as she tapped her pencil against the arm of her chair while softly humming to herself. Turning her head slightly she looked over at her cello that she'd set up on it's stand just in case she wanted to practice a little to hopefully get her creativeness flowing, but so far every time that she reached for it she would freeze then turn away shaking her head. Playing had always come so easy to her ever since her mother had handed Lucy her first cello and taught her the basics, but now for some reason she just couldn't find the momentum to play at all.

"Having trouble?" A voice called startling her out of her thoughts and Lucy lifted her head to stare at Natsu who was leaning against the railing of his own balcony across the surprisingly short distance between her apartment building and his.

He'd gotten a kick out of the realization that their apartments were directly across from one another when she'd come out onto her patio for the first time after opening the blinds to check it out and he'd called out to her, scaring the hell out of her in the process only to laugh at her bewildered expression.

"You could say that." She called back and looked over at her cello with a sigh.

"Why don't you play a little, that might help." He said with a nod.

Lucy ran her fingers through her hair in agitation. "That's the problem I can't seem to find the motivation to play right now."

"Well why don't you play something that you didn't write or learn in symphony." He suggested after a moment with a grin as he rested his arms on the railing. "Like a rock song or something."

She stared at him for a moment before she slowly started to grin and set her music sheets aside, making sure to place a paperweight on them to keep them from flying away in a breeze. "Okay." She called back and pulled her hair back into a messy bun as she wracked her brain to find a song that she knew and instantly she knew which song that she wanted to play and scooted her chair back and perched on the edge and grabbed her cello, settling it between her legs and settled into the familiar position and taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and started to play, letting the sweet sound of her cello fill her as she effortlessly brought the song to life, the sounds of voices in the courtyard instantly hushed at the beginning of the song.

Lowering her head slightly Lucy gave herself completely over to the notes, moving in tune with the fast pace of the song blocking everything out like her mother had taught her so long ago to do when she felt the song calling to her. It was something, her mother had told her, only a truly gifted musician could ever do when they felt one with the song. Complete and utter surrender and synchronization between instrument and musician.

She was so lost in the song that she missed Natsu's reaction to seeing her play for the first time, and the fact that he wasn't completely alone on his balcony as he rested his chin against his arms as he grinned at her as he watched her lose herself completely in the song. There was something so compelling for him to watch her that made Natsu sigh with such caring that made the other person sitting in the chair on the balcony to look over at him in surprise.

"You like her don't you Natsu?" The guy asked softly as he continued to stare at Natsu.

Natsu sighed again, not taking his eyes off Lucy. "Yea, I do." He murmured just loud enough for his friend to hear.

"And hows Lisanna gonna react when she finds out?"

"Huh?" Natsu asked turning his head and giving the guy a confused look. "What are you talking about Gray? Lisanna doesn't have anything to do with Lucy. Her song's not done yet, shudup!" Turning back Natsu resumed his position against the balcony and sighed softly as he watched Lucy play, and the fact that she knew exactly how to hit every not just so that there were absolutely no mistakes.

Lucy lifted her head as she ran her bow over the last few notes of the song before pulling it off the cords and opening her eyes to lock eyes with Natsu where he leaned against his patio railing, his head on his arms. She blinked at the look on his face as his gentle smile morphed into one that was far, _far_ warmer then it had been mere seconds ago. She'd only gotten that look once before after a concert in which she'd had several solos, and it had been from someone whom she had meant very much to. Mentally Lucy shook her head, casting aside the notion that someone she had just met could ever feel that particular way towards her after knowing her for such a short time.

"Well," She called as she set her cello aside, her mind slowly starting to kick into gear now that she had actually played. "What do you think?"

"That was _amazing_!" Natsu cheered and threw his hands up in the air. "How did you learn to do that?"

"With practice, many many hours of practice and cuts from the cords." She said with a chuckle as she pulled her music sheets into her lap and grabbed her pencil. "I'll talk to you in a bit okay? That really helped get my creativeness going."

"Yosh that sounds great you'll _have_ to let me hear it when you have something!" He called before she could disappear into her music.

"Maybe." She laughed before turning her full attention to the notes.

There was one rule that her mother had drilled into her head when she was a child, and that was to never _ever_ let someone you didn't know-regardless if they were a cello player or not-and didn't trust completely see your music sheets unless they were a conductor, and even then make sure that your name is written on each and every paper and that you have extras so that they could never be stolen. And only play your music for someone when you have it perfectly rehearsed so that you do not need the music sheets for it. Those had been the only two rules that Lucy's mother had made absolutely sure that her daughter had understood completely before she would even let her hold a cello in her hands.

Now Lucy softly hummed a rhythm to herself as she gently swayed to the beat of it as she jotted down notes, paused and ran through the entire set before she would either nod or shake her head and correct the error in a part. She'd always found it extremely easy to create what she liked to call a rough draft of a piece she was attempting to create before she would come back and 'edit' in or out the changes she would like to make to it. Sighing Lucy sat back in her chair and hummed the notes softly to herself before she paused and narrowed her eyes at them as something seemed to be...off about what she had currently on the paper. Looking up she took in the sight of Natsu waving his arms animatedly at his friend sitting in the other patio chair while they talked about something that clearly excited the easily excitable dolt. Chuckling she blinked before ducking down, her pencil moving across the paper in a floury of movement as she held her breath.

"Gahh!" She cried out launching herself to her feet holding out the paper in front of her before she raced into her apartment setting it onto her coffee table before running outside to grab the remainder of her note sheet and her cello before racing inside.

"You okay Lucy?!" Natsu called, concern in his voice.

"What?" Lucy called back and looked up before she waved and smiled. "I'm fine I'll see you later! Bye!" She called and shut her sliding door and turned to pull up a chair and perched on the edge as she stared at the music sheets before she took a deep breath and settled her nerves before she grabbed her cello and once again started playing.

This wasn't the first time that she was writing her own piece for a project, but it was the first time that it would eventually be performed on in center stage of an auditorium in front of a certain audience that had yet to be announced to them. However this was for a much bigger reason then for just an award, no this had her entire cello career riding on it so she absolutely **could not** afford to screw anything up. Not that Lucy was prone to botching her cello performances because she was by far the best cello performers that her high school had had to offer, but then again there were students from all around the country that were attempting to snag a chair in the symphony so this was a very cellist-eat-cellist moment for her. Not something that she was practically used to at this point in her life.

* * *

It took Lucy two hours to be somewhat satisfied with her piece enough to set it aside and pick up her cell phone, which had been ringing for at least the past four minuets, though with how tuned in she had been it quite literally could have been more. "Hello!" She chirped with a smile.

"Finally!" Levy sniped irritably. "I've been calling you forever, look we're gonna go out for some drinks since it's been two weeks since we all got here and we haven't really hung out in all that time. You should come! And I'm not asking, I'm telling!"

Lucy laughed as she stood and stretched before she headed towards her room. "Alright, alright." She said shaking her head. "I just got to a stopping point with my piece so I can go, when are we meeting? And what should I wear, do you know where we're going?"

"Dress in a skirt and tank top, Gajeel says that the place we're going to is well known so it should be pretty warm in there." Levy said after a moment. "And we'll be at you place in a few minuets we're waiting for Gray and Juvia to get here before we head over to meet you. The place isn't to far off campus so we're walking, and i think he called it Fairy...Tail? Not entirely sure but thats what he said. I suggest bringing a light coat just in case, I know I am."

"Great!" Lucy chirped as she kicked her door shut and hurried to her closet. "See you in a few!"

Disconnecting the call she tossed her phone onto the bed and sighed as she rifled through her skirts and shirts. Finally she settled on a mid-thigh black skirt and a pink crop top before she slipped her feet into her black knee high boots and slipped a small clump of cash into the hip of her undies and grabbing her phone rushed from her room, stooping to make sure that Plue had full run of his room as well as food before she called her goodbye to him and pulled his door shut. She didn't like leaving him locked up in his room for long periods of time, but it wasn't very often that she got out with her new friends so she would make compromises for him whenever she could. Rushing from her apartment Lucy locked her door and rushed past the elevators to the stairs, ignoring the strange looks she received and shoved open the door, clasping her arms around her chest she jogged down them masterfully in her inch thick boots smiling to herself before she reached the landing and pulled her hair up into a side pony tail and composed herself before pushing it open and striding through and hurried towards the exit waving excitedly as she easily spotted Levy with her bright blue hair who stood next to a towering Gajeel.

"Hi Levy!" She greeted as she exited the building and bent slightly to hug her smaller friend before she turned and grinned up at a smirking Gajeel. "Hi Gajeel, hows the apartment coming?"

"Great," He rumbled and looked away in embarrassment "I, uh...appreciated the..."

"Your welcome you big lug." She said and patted his arm in understanding before she turned and hugged a darker haired girl. "It's been far to long Juvia, how are you?"

"Juvia is good, she is excited for all of her friends and Gray-sama to live down here with her and Gajeel." She said with a broad grin.

Lucy nodded. "Good, I'm really happy to hear that." When she had first met Juvia the girl had been extremely antisocial and almost completely cut off from the outside world of her own doing. If it hadn't been for Gajeel and Lucy's slow coaxing she would have slowly wasted away without anyone even noticing. But in the time since they had first started talking it had seemed that she had branched out with the help of Gajeel and was even now dating. Turning her head she looked up at the man and gave a welcoming smile. "I'm Lucy."

"Gray." He said and extended his hand towards her. "Juvia's told me a lot about you, about all of you in fact."

"Really?" Lucy prompted in surprise.

"Yea," He said as he draped his arm around her shoulders and scratched the back of his head with his other as he chuckled while Juvia sputtered at the confession. "She's told me that it was you five that pulled her out of her shell and got her to go out and experience new things on her own. I appreciate that."

"Oh, well you don't need to thank us." Levy said as she waved her hands in front of herself.

"Levy is right." Erza said as she planted her hands on her hips. "Juvia is a treasured friend we would do anything to ensure that she is well taken care of, by any means necessary."

"Yea." Cana agreed with a hiccup as she sauntered up and tossed her thick wavy brown hair over one shoulder and gave him a smirk. "So keep that in mind buckaroo, we'll make sure that all of us are looked after even if that means sticking our noses into other peoples businesses."

Juvia's mouth dropped open as Lucy and Levy chuckled as they folded their arms and stood on either side of Erza and Cana while Gajeel stood behind the two women, no doubt glaring down at poor Gray as he stood there staring at the five of them in surprise.

"Yup," Levy said with another giggle. "That's how it's been for all five of us since we became friends."

"There's no use fighting it." Lucy added and shrugged. "You learn to love it, it's kinda their way of saying 'I love you you dumb moron', in a very punch-to-the-face type of way."

"Wahh!" Juvia wailed. "Why must you be so cruel to Juvia's beloved Gray?!"

"They were like that with Jellal and he's still around." Erza pointed out.

"And my Bacchus." Cana cackled. "Though I was pretty sure he was gonna cut and run when Gajeel threw that two-by-four at his head that one time."

"What about you Lucy, did they ever do this to you?" Gray asked with a chuckle.

Instantly Lucy tensed and her smile froze on her face as flash backs of painful memories assaulted her and she turned her face away. "Uh..."

"Gray darling you should give Juvia a piggy back ride to the bar!" Juvia cheered, jumping in front of Gray effectively, if not extremely obviously, changing the subjects to keep Lucy from answering the question. Though to give Gray credit he didn't press the matter and turned and bent his knees to let Juvia launch herself excitedly onto his back with a squeal.

"Breath, Bunny girl." Gajeel rumbled, placing a large hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Ain't nothin' happin' to you now that we're here."

Slowly Lucy took a deep breath and nodded, turning her face up she smiled at the giant. "Yea, I know, doesn't make the memories hurt any less when they're brought up."

"No, but they'll fade over time Lu." Levy said and came up to put her hand on her arm.

Lucy looked from one to the other before she clapped her hands together. "C'mon we're supposed to be having fun tonight not worrying if I'm okay or not. Besides I'm fine, you guys are here to make sure of that!"

"Damn straight." Gajeel growled and grinned down at her exposing his sharper then normal teeth.

"And we aren't going to let anything happen to you ever." Levy agreed her face set into a determined expression that was more adorable then fierce.

* * *

It took them less then fifteen minutes to get from the campus to the front of the bar but Lucy was already exhausted, though she made sure that she kept up her bubbly front up as she laughed with her friends. A lot of things had happened in her life, the majority not particularly happy but she and her father had slaved away to make sure that things would only get better from there. And so far they had succeeded, she was in college and had a group of friends that she would never trade anything for. But the pain, the pain and the heartache would always be there, it'd fade in time but it would always rear it's ugly head to remind her why she didn't seek out her own relationships with people.

Taking a deep, settling breath Lucy followed her friends into the loud bar and blinked at the sight of all the people crowded in the bar. "You weren't kidding when you said it's well known were you?" She prompted moving to stand next to Levy as they stood just in the doorway.

"I didn't really think Gajeel meant that it was this popular but I guess it is. Sorry Lu." She said and turned an apologetic look towards her.

Lucy shrugged and waved her hand. "It's no biggie, I can get over it. Lets go get a drink I'm sure that'll help."

"Yea, lets go." Levy agreed an linked her arm through Lucy's as she turned her head to tell Gajeel where they were going.

"Look after one another!" Erza called after them as the others moved towards the tables to snag one.

"As if we wouldn't." Lucy sniggered sarcastically.

"Lucy!" Levy gasped and glanced back at Erza to ensure that the other woman somehow didn't overhear. "Be careful you don't want to get a lecture from Erza do you?"

Lucy shivered. "No, you're right. C'mon the bars right there we can get a drink then get back to the others."

"Yea, I don't really want to be in this crowd just by ourselves." Levy agreed.

"Hello ladies!" A white haired beauty called in greeting as she turned towards them. "What can i get for you two?'

"Can we get four two pints please." Lucy said with a smile and reached into the the hip of her skirts and underwear to pull out the wad of cash to pay the woman for the beers.

"Okay, girls here you go." The woman said and slid them onto the bar in front of them.

Lucy reach out to pick up two of them when a loud crash drew her attention and she looked over to the other side of the bar to see two men standing on top of a table, one of them with white blond hair that was sticking up in every direction. Lucy blinked at him as he flexed his arms to the cheers of the crowds while the other man threw a punch, effectively knocking that one off the table and into the crowd.

That's when Lucy's eyes widened and her mouth dropped down. "Natsu?" She breathed as she took in the pink haired man as he fist pumped the air his own spiky hair bouncing as he did victory poses.

"You know him?" Levy prompted.

"It's hard not to know Natsu. I'm Mira by the way." The bartender said and nodded towards Natsu from where he lifted his fists as the blonde climbed back onto the table and lifted his fists as if to challenge Natsu. "Natsu's probably one of the most well known patrons that we have here. In fact I think he's Mr. Popular at MU since he's the star fighter on their fight team."

Lucy's heart stopped and her entire body stiffened before she closed her mouth and turned to smile at Mira. "Thank you for the drinks." She said and grabbed two and turned, headed towards Erza and the others, a shocked Levy hurrying after her.

"Hey! Let go!" Levy squawked and Lucy froze and turned her head to see someone had his hands on Levy's shoulders, leaning over to whisper in her ear.

"Levy drop!" Lucy shouted, her eyes narrowing as she turned and strode back as Levy's eyes widened as she took in the posture Lucy was taking and quickly dropped down into a crouch, her eyes squeezed shut as she tired to make her body even smaller. Lucy took in the man's shocked expression as she swung her leg, the top of her foot connecting with the mans jaw and sending him flying as she straightened and looked down at him. "When a woman tells you not to touch her you remove your hands." She told him as she set her foot onto the floor and stared at him from where he lay on the floor his hands clutching his jaw as she turned to look down at Levy, her expression instantly becoming one of concern. "Levy are you okay?"

"Yea, I'm fine." She said and grinned as she stood up. "You've gotten better, you didn't spill a drop this time."

Lucy looked down at the beers and grinned. "Yea, I have I guess."

"Is everything okay over here Shrimp." Gajeel growled, coming up to wrap his arm around her shoulders and staring down at the man with a glare that could make even the most battle hardened soldier soil his pants.

"Yea." She said and passed him a beer. "Lucy handled it."

"We saw." Erza said her voice having reached a pitch that sent shivers down Lucy's spine and she turned to see her staring down at the man her expression one of utter nightmares. "You dared to lay your hands on our beloved Levy. Perhaps I should remove them for you."

"That won't be necessary, I think I might have broken his jaw." Lucy said and extended her extra beer to Erza who took it without looking away from the man. "I wasn't really watching how much force I was using."

"You should have used more." Gajeel rumbled and he tilted his head down making the man let out a squeak before scuttling back in fear. "A broken jaw ain't enough, you touched my woman."

"Enough." Lucy said and stepped in front of the man and gave them a broad smile. "Lets drink to a new start at MU!" She said and raised her glass, waiting until they all lifted their own and brought the drinks to their lips. Whipping around she narrowed her eyes at the man. "You'd better leave and never let them see your face ever again. Run. Now."

Not a second after the words had left her mouth the man was scrambling away, pushing his way through the crowd and out the door, still cradling his jaw.

"Ya just had ta take the fun away didn't ya Bunny girl." Gajeel growled.

"Yup, after all if you two had left to take him out who would have been left to defend little Levy from all the other perverts." Lucy said pointing towards Levy who let out a snort. "I can only handle a few at a time and who knows how many of them are in this bar."

"Yo Lucy!" A voice called. "That was such an awesome kick!"

Lucy froze, her eyes widened in horror as her heart skipped a beat. She stared at her friends who in turn stared at her in shock. "Oh no, this can't be happening." She murmured, it was to soon. Far, _far_ to soon to come face to face with him after find out that he's Mr. Popular.

But sure enough as she turned her head there he was grinning at her, his hand linked behind his salmon colored head as he grinned at her.


	4. Chapter 4

She stared up at him, a loss of words. It was to new, the news was far to new for her to know what to say to him. So she stood there, like an idiot, staring at him for what felt like an eternity in awkward silence until Erza rested her hand on her shoulder, startling her.

"Lucy, would you like to introduce us to your acquaintance?" Erza prompted gently, once again coming to her rescue.

"Oh! Right!" Lucy said and motioned towards Erza. "This is Erza, and that's Levy. You already know Gajeel. Guys this is Natsu we met when I moved into the apartments."

"I live directly across the courtyard from her." Natsu said with another grin. "Quite literally I'm directly across the way from her it's awesome!"

Lucy found herself smiling before she took a sip of her beer and blinked at the pleasant taste.

"Anyway that was an awesome kick Lucy!" Natsu said and moved forwards until he was a few feet away from her when someone tried to walk between them. "How did you learn to do that?" He asked shoving the man away without taking his eyes off Lucy

"I took martial arts classes when I was younger so I would know how to defend myself." She said and watched as the man straightened and turned towards Natsu fury in is eyes.

"Why you little shit!" The man snarled and swung his fist towards Natsu only to let out a grunt of pain as Natsu deflected his fist and sent him flying back with his own punch to the man's gut.

"I wasn't done talking to Lucy!" Natsu snarled before straightening and once again turning towards Lucy with a grin. "What else do you know? Do you know how to fight?"

"Uh..." Lucy looked from Natsu to the man whom was picking himself up from the floor before charging back towards Natsu. "Look out!" She cried as she effortlessly danced out of the way, holding her beer away from her body in case it spilled as the man barreled into Natsu from behind, taking them both to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs as the two grappled for the upper hand while trying to land punches.

Rolling her eyes Lucy sighed and turned, striding to a table and hopping up onto it she crossed her legs and waited to see if she would have to help the poor fool off the ground. From what Mira had told her he apparently was one of the best fighters that MU had in it's ranks, but it was obvious that he lacked restraint and common sense as far as she had seen. Then again she'd only seen him fight outside of an official rink, he could be entirely different when fighting in a rink. Tilting her head as she caught sight of Natsu's face and the grin that was on his face as he landed a punch to the man's abdomen, it was something that spoke to her how much that Natsu loved to brawl. It was the same expression that Lucy had seen on her own face a time or two when she'd finished a piece that she was particularly proud about.

"Hey Lucy! Is that...Natsu?" Levy prompted as she appeared at her side, pointing to the mess in front of them.

"Yea." Lucy sighed and turned to look at her. "I have no idea how long this is going to go on, what do you want to do?"

"I found the dancing room!" Levy said excitedly. "And their playing really good music, Gray and Juvia are already there dancing and Gajeel actually agreed to dance with me, I was wondering if you would like to come with?"

"And be the fifth wheel?" Lucy asked with a grin before she shrugged and chugged the rest of her beer before setting the glass on the table not noticing the awed looks on the regulars faces at the sight of her easily knocking back the drink. "I'd love to!" She cheered and hopped off the table to follow Levy, ignoring Natsu calling her from the floor. "When you're finished come find me if you still want to talk!" She said twisting around to call to him and give him a wave as she followed closely behind Levy. Turning back she sighed.

"You seem...stressed?" Levy prompted just loud enough for Lucy to hear her.

"He's Mr. Popular, Levy." She said and shook her head. "And he doesn't leave me alone."

"Maybe he likes you." Levy said softly, tentatively.

"And that's what has me stressed out." Lucy replied. "I can't deal with any of that right now, we've just started MU and everything and now suddenly Mr. Popular is constantly following and talking to me, it's high school all over again and I simply can't deal with that. You remember what happened and what that did to me."

Levy glanced back at her and gave her a soft smile. "I don't think Natsu's like _him,_ Lucy."

"You're probably right." She agreed hesitantly.

"Just get to know him."

"Yea, okay. Now lets get off this topic and get to the dance floor, I'm itching to dance!" Lucy said with a smile.

Levy rolled her eyes but picked up the pace until they reached a thick door that Levy shoved open with a grunt that opened up to a hallway that had thumping music coming from the end and another door. Lucy shoved the door shut behind them and followed Levy, getting eerily freaked out by the dark hallway before Levy pulled open the door at the end of the hallway and the music suddenly blasted into the hall and strobbing lights lit it up slightly.

"Wow." Lucy murmured as she took in the massive room before following Levy into it, not noticing when Levy pulled it shut and turned towards her.

"Lucy!" Levy shouted and tugged on her arm to get the taller girls attention. "We're over this way I think!"

Nodding Lucy moved closer. "I'll follow you!"

Levy nodded and turned and headed through the throng of people. It was nearly crushing in the massive room nearly everyone moving either to the beat of the music or to their own rhythm. Keeping her attention solely focused on Levy, Lucy shoved her way through the crowd as she attempted to keep up with the small woman. Grunting when someone shoved her from behind Lucy staggered and flailed slightly as someone bumped into her she gasped as she started to fall.

Strong hands grabbed her hips and pulled her upright and into a strong body. Lucy turned her head and stared up into Natsu's grinning face, a small trickle of blood eking from a split lip and a black eye forming around his left eye. "Why Lucy, are you a clumsy or something?" He teased.

She stared at him for a heartbeat before she glared at him. "Rude." Was all she said before pulling away and rolling onto her tiptoes to try and catch a peek of Levy through the crowd, growling in frustration when she didn't.

"Need some help?" Natsu prompted over the roar of the crowd and the music.

"Wha-Natsu _put me down!"_ She bellowed as Natsu wrapped one of his arms around her waist and the other around her thighs and lifted her into the air and onto his shoulder and stood as her arms pinwheeled and then gripped his hair as people gawked then cheered.

"Do you see her?" Natsu called looking up at her with a grin.

Lucy stared at him with a stunned expression before she turned her attention to the crowd only to see Levy jumping up and down waving her arms with a stunned expression while Gajeel was bent over howling with laughter. "There!" She shouted and pointed then squeaked when Natsu lifted one of legs and brought it over his head so she was now sitting on his shoulders as if she were two again and riding on her father's shoulders like she had used to so long ago. _"Natsu!"_ She bellowed again. _"PUT ME DOWN NOW_ _!"_

"Stop bellowing!" Natsu said and looked up at her with a smirk. "Besides this'll be easier cause now you won't trip trying to keep up and you can guide me towards everyone."

She glared down at him her face bright red. "I don't care put me down!"

"Nope! Not until we meet up with your strange friends." He said and grinned up at her. "Now which way am I going?" He prompted his hands gripping her thighs to keep her from falling as he looked around.

"That way!" She said pointing again then let out a shriek as Natsu started to walk, shoving his way through the crowd with one hand as he held tight to her legs with his other as she gripped his hair tightly with her hands as she panted in terror. She stared down at the top of his head as he effortlessly made his way through the crowd, frowning as she tried to understand why the hell he'd gone through all the trouble of getting her up above the masses just to find her friends. Perhaps it was just one of the strange things that this strange man was prone to doing, because in the few weeks that she'd known him he'd done some pretty _strange_ things.

Breaking through the crowd Natsu grinned up at her. "Found 'em."

She made a face. "Only because I pointed you in the direction now _put me down!"_

"Alright, alright no need to get all huffy." He grunted and lifted her leg again and brought it over to one shoulder then in one swift motion much quicker then she was expecting Natsu yanked his shoulder out from underneath her. Lucy screamed as she dropped only to let out a oomph as Natsu caught her in his arms and grinned at her wide-eyed look as she gripped his shirt in her shaking hands. "Thought I was gonna let you hit the floor didn't you?" He teased his face inches from hers as he smirked at her.

"Y-you jerk you s-scared me." She stuttered he eyes wide.

"Aw c'mon Lucy I wouldn't ever let you get intentionally hurt." He said his smile turning more tender."Have more trust in me."

"I barely know you." She murmured in return.

Natsu chuckled as he moved his face closer. "That's why you should get to know me better."

Lucy stared at him wide-eyed until she was jarred back to reality by Gajeel's bellowing laughter. Jerking her head around she took in her friends stunned expressions, well all except Gajeel who was still laughing. "Put me down." She said and wriggled.

"Aw c'mon I like holding you!" Natsu said and tightened his hold on her. "Though you are kinda heavy."

Lucy's jaw dropped and she looked at him before she pinched his nipple through his shirt and he yelped, dropping her legs to yank her hand away from his abused nipple while steadying her with his arm still around her shoulders. "You jerk!" She shouted and pulled away in a huff as she turned and folded her arms and tilted her head in the air and strode up to her friends who were busy trying to cover their amusement. She glared at them then jumped when a sudden weight landed on her back and Natsu draped his arms around her her and clasped his hands in front of her. "What are you doing!?" She demanded.

"I dunno." He chuckled then turned his attention to the others. "So what are we doing in this loud as hell room?"

"We wanted to dance!" Levy exclaimed excitedly then turned to Gajeel and grabbed his arm with both hands. "C'mon lets dance!"

"Whoa Shrimp I ain't ready yet!" Gajeel shouted but let Levy drag him onto the edges of the crowd anyway, the two of them dancing closely.

"Gray darling!" Juvia shouted and looked at him with a begging expression.

"Fine." Gray growled and let himself be dragged over as well.

Lucy stood there staring after them before she frowned and pulled away from Natsu ignoring his objections and moved to the table and took a seat before dropping her head onto it with a thud.

"I empathize your situation Lucy, but fear not we will not be alone forever, we must only hold out hope and our prayers will eventually be answered." Erza said across from her and slid a mug of the pleasant tasting beer towards Lucy as she watched their friends dancing with their men. "That will be us one day."

"Easy for you to say." Lucy grumbled and took hold of the mug and took a gulp. "You at least have someone that you are talking with that your interested in, don't you?" She pressed when Erza's cheeks turned a slight shade of red. "What's his name again, I think you mentioned it already, Jellal right?"

Erza's head whipped around and she pinned Lucy with a hard stare. "If you value your life I suggest that you cease your teasing this instant."

Lucy flinched backwards, her heart beating rapidly in fear. "I didn't mean anything by it Erza." She said and looked away.

Erza sighed and reached out to pat Lucy's hand. "Perhaps instead of focusing your confusion and frustration on other people you should confront your own problems head on." She said and nodded towards Natsu where he was talking to some girl who was flirtatiously playing with her hair as she giggled up at him.

Lucy stared at him as he shoved his hands into his pockets and smiled politely at the girl as she shamelessly leaned forward as if to give him a perfect view down her cleavage. Natsu chuckled and looked away as he answered whatever question she had asked, his eyes locking with Lucy's and he grinned at her then blinked in surprise when the girl placed her hand on his chest. Taking a step back he shook his head and nodded towards Lucy, and the girl turned her head and gave Lucy a harsh glare that had her widening her eyes in surprise before the girl turned her attention once more to Natsu and tilted her head towards the dance-floor.

She'd obviously asked if he wanted to dance with her, but shockingly Natsu was shaking his head with a polite smile as he side stepped her reaching hands and backed away towards Lucy. He'd clearly denied her invitation to dance with her in exchange of spending his time with Lucy. Turning he sighed then grinned at Lucy when she stared at him in surprise.

"Why didn't you go dance with her?" She asked when he slid into the booth next to her after pushing her over a little.

"Because she wasn't as interesting and weird as you." He said.

"I'm not weird!" She shouted and turned to glare at him. "If anyone's the weird one it's _you_!"

"Nah, it's definitely you." He said and shook his head. "After all who in their right mind finishes Bacchus rum beer in two gulps and isn't face first on the floor drunk."

"That's what this is?" Lucy prompted and looked down at the dark amber colored liquid. "I thought it was actually pretty light compared to what Cana makes."

"Whose Cana?" Natsu prompted in confusion.

"Oh, that's right she disappeared to meet up with Bacchus, Cana's a friend of ours she's also Bacchus's fiancee and she brews her own alcohol and it's really potent." Lucy said and grinned.

"Yes," Erza agreed with a thoughtful expression as she nodded. "After indulging in her beverages for some time now I have seemed to have picked up a decent tolerance for other beverages that are not made by Cana. Though we will never be able to have as high a tolerance as Cana or Bacchus both seem to possess."

"Yup." Lucy agreed and took another gulp and grinned. "It's kind of like drinking soda really."

He stared at her incredulously. "See, you are a weirdo."

She glared at him. "Just wait until you have Cana's secret brew, she only makes it once in a blue moon and when we're gonna get together for a party or whatever. That stuff will knock you on your butt."

"Then I'll just have to have you there when I try it so you can make sure that I don't do something to stupid." He said and grinned. "How does that sound Lucy?"

She stared at him before she threw back her head and laughed, ignoring his affronted look she turned her attention to Erza who was chuckling softly. "Did he not just realize what I said?"

"I don't think he comprehended, no." She said and shook her head.

"Natsu," Lucy laughed and turned to stare up at him with a grin. "Cana's brew is called Heavens Gates because the gods will take pity on you after you take even the smallest sip of it. _That's_ how potent the stuff is, the only reason Cana allowed us to try it is because we snuck into her brewing room and were about to try it even though she told us that we weren't allowed to. Said that if we were dumb enough to sneak in there and were about to take a sip we might as well drink some to see if we'd live. And since we did she's been making it for us on occasion."

"Well maybe she'd share with me!" He said and jerked his thumb towards himself with a smirk.

She stared at him before she started to laugh again. There was something so charming about him, sure he was Mr. Popular after all, but Lucy had seen the way that he'd acted with the other girl and it wasn't at all the way that he'd acted towards her. He'd been polite and distant towards the girl, but when he was with Lucy it was almost as if he didn't feel like he had to watch what he said or did because he sure was handsy when he was around Lucy but when he was with others he made sure to keep his hands carefully tucked away.

Lucy stared at him as he waved his hands about as he conversed with Erza and Gray and Juvia as they came back from the dance floor. It was clear that out of everyone he gravitated more towards Lucy then the others, even with Gray whom it was clear that he'd known since they were small children and were actually quite close even though they argued quite a lot. It was strangely reassuring that he didn't want to leave her alone in such a strange place.

* * *

Lucy shivered slightly as they headed back towards the campus, it was well after midnight and the bar had closed down a little over half and hour ago, but the manager-Mira-had let them stay a little longer so the crowd of rowdy drunks would disperse more. It was clear that Natsu and Gray had grown up in this town and were well known for staying out late at night.

"Hey Lucy, you cold?" Natsu asked softly from beside her from where they had lagged from behind the rest of them.

She looked up at him and smiled. "No I'm fine, it was just a slight breeze is all."

He stared at her before he chuckled and threw his arm around her shoulders and drew her into his side, shocking her with his warmth. "Ya know you really should tell the truth when someone asks you a question."

She stared at the ground as they walked. "I, uh, wanted to thank you for earlier." She murmured softly.

"Huh?" He prompted glancing down at her in question.

"When you helped me in the crowd, I was kinda rude to you." She said her cheeks turning slightly red.

"Yea ya were." He agreed with a nod and chuckled at her insulted gasp before he tightened his arm around her to keep her from jerking away. "But your welcome."

She settled down as they kept walking, resting her head against him as she yawned tiredly. "I had fun tonight, thank you for hanging out with me and my friends." She said. In truth Natsu had been offered many 'outs' as the night had progressed, many of his own friends had come over wanting to start a brawl with him or throw darts or even grab a beer but Natsu had kindly declined saying that he was already handing out with new friends and wanted to get to know them better.

His arm tightened around her slightly. "I appreciate you putting up with me. A lot of people can't really tolerate my...rambunctiousness, at least that's what Mira calls it. Most everyone just says that I'm too much and that I should just tone it down."

She shrugged and patted his side with her hand. "That's just who you are though, asking you to tone it down would be like telling Levy that she can't be a bookworm, or I can't be a cello player. We are who we are and there is no shame in any of that no matter what anybody claims. Be proud of yourself Natsu and don't let anyone ever put you down."

"Ya know ya ain't as weird as I thought you were, Lucy." He teased gently and chuckled at her growl.

"Yea, we'll you're weirder then I thought you were." She shot back with a smile when he feigned a gasp.

"Hey Bunny girl do you need us to walk you back?" Gajeel called from father ahead.

"No, go on ahead I'll be fine!" She called back.

"I'll make sure that she gets home safe!" Natsu chimed in.

Lucy looked up at him and he grinned down at her.

"Great, see you tomorrow Lucy!" Levy called. "Don't forget that we're meeting at seven!"

"I won't!" Lucy called and waved before settling her head back against Natsu as they continued on towards their apartment buildings.

"What are ya two doing tomorrow?" He asked after a silent moment.

"Oh, Levy and I finally have some spare time so we were gonna go exploring for bookshops and raid them for all their precious treasures." She said with a wistful sigh.

"I thought Levy was the bookworm of the group."

"Oh she is." Lucy said with a nod. "But I'm not far behind her."

"I can take you around to all the good shops. Most of them are off the main streets." He offered hesitantly.

Instantly Lucy jerked her head off of him and turned to face him, startling him slightly as she stared at him with an intense expression. "Seriously?" She demanded. "You'd do that for Levy and I?"

"Y-yea if you wanted me to." He said and nodded.

Lucy squealed and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank you! Thank you!"

Natsu stiffened before awkwardly wrapping his own arms around her in a loose return of her hug. "Uh, you're w-welcome." He murmured his cheeks turning slightly red.

"This is so exciting!" Lucy said pulling away and yanking out her phone to tell Levy the news. "This will save us so much time since now we can skip all the less exciting shops and hit the real bookshops."

Natsu scratched the back of his head as he followed behind Lucy as she prattled on and on about what all the girls had planed out throughout the day, and now how much time he'd be able to save them. Slowly Natsu grinned as he picked up his pace and slung his arm around her shoulders. "So where should I meet you?" He asked.

She blinked up at him. "Oh, you can meet me at my car at six thirty."

"Wait you're driving?" He asked his body going stiff.

Lucy looked up at him. "Yea, Levy's place is to far away for me to walk to in the morning so I'm going to drive there and then we're gonna walk from there since she's much closer to the shopping district then I am."

"Okay." He said softly and shivered slightly.

"What's wrong?" Lucy prompted turning her face to look up at him.

"I, uh," Natsu hesitated and scratched the back of his neck with his free hand as he looked away in embarrassment. "I, kinda get motion sick when I ride in any type of vehicle."

She stared at him then bust out laughing before she patted his chest when he grumbled in the back of his throat and turned his face away his cheeks turning red. "It's okay, Natsu, as a reward I'll get you some ice cream how does that sound?"

"Yea." He said then turned his face towards her and gave her a pleading expression. "But can't we just walk? Please?!"

Lucy laughed and shook her head, knowing full well that he was going to try and convince her somehow not to drive. But knowing full well that there was no way that he was going to talk or bribe her out of driving tomorrow morning.


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Note:** **So this may or may not be as awkward for you as it is for me so bear with me. I would like to thank all of your guys whom read this and (whether you do or not is fine :)) like and follow this story. I have no idea how long I am going to make this story at the moment, I just wanted to give my thanks to all of you lovelies who took the time to read my story. With that being said I would like to say that I would like to keep my updates to at least two per month (though hopefully more) but it all depends on if i run into the dreaded writers block or if something in my hectic life pops up unexpectedly. Anywho that's all for right now, please enjoy and tell me what you think if you want!**

* * *

"Okay," Lucy said turning her attention to Natsu where he was slumped over in her far, a barf bag clutched in his hands, though thankfully he hadn't needed to use it in the twenty minute car ride to Levy's dorm building. "We're here, the car's parked and off you can get out."

"Thank god*blurg*"Natsu grumbled and shoved the door open to roll out after unbuckling himself.

Lucy stared at him where he lay face down on the pavement, one of his legs still in the car. "You know you look pitiful right now."

Natsu glared at her over the top of the passenger seat where he lifted his head just enough to see her. "Motion sickness is a real illness."

She grinned and chuckled as she climbed from the car and walked around it to offer a hand down to him. "C'mon, Levy will be here in a minute."

He stared up at her before growling and accepting her hand only to steady himself as he used her car to slowly climb to his feet with a grumble. She stared at him for a moment, noting that he was still slightly green and more then a little unbalanced as he rested his hand against the top of her car and breathed, his hand still clutching hers as if she were a lifeline.

"Um," She said and tugged gently at her hand. "You can let go now."

His hand tightened around hers before he blushed slightly before letting go. "Sorry." He mumbled softly.

"It's okay." She murmured back then turned and looked up at the building. "Levy should be here any second."

"So how long are we planning on walking around Magnolia?" Natsu prompted as he slowly straightened and rested his arms against the top of her car as if he still needed to steady himself.

Lucy looked at him and shrugged with a small smile. "I honestly have no idea. I know Levy wanted to hit all of the old bookshops and I really need to find a dress shop and a music shop."

"Why?" He asked with a frown.

"Well," Lucy sighed and ran her fingers through her hair as she frowned. "Yesterday one of my moms old friends contacted me and asked if i would be willing to fill in for the lead chair of the cello section at a concert next month and I told him that I would. So now I need a dress for the occasion as well as to get a new bow for my cello and to have the strings checked out because they fell a bit off when I hit certain notes."

"Is that good to be asked to be a lead chair?" Natsu prompted frowning.

"You were asked to be lead chair?!" Levy shouted having approached them while they both weren't paying attention.

Lucy jumped and turned her head toward Levy sheepishly. "Um, yea I was. To answer you Natsu, being asked to fill in the lead chair when you're not even part of that symphony is a huge compliment to your skill. I'm actually surprised that I was his first choice when he found out that the person wasn't going to be able to make it to the concert."

"Oh my god Lucy which symphony asked you?" She demanded.

"Crocus Eden." Lucy murmured her cheeks going red in embarrassment.

Both Natsu and Levy's mouth dropped as their eyes widened in shock.

"But that's the _kings_ symphony." Natsu breathed.

Lucy rubbed her arms as she looked away. "I know." She had been slightly hesitant in accepting the invitation that had been extended to her, but when she had called her father to ask what thought of it he had been off the wall excited that she had been offered the opportunity. It had been years since a Heartfilia had filled a lead chair in the Crocus Eden symphony. The symphony itself was known all through the continent of Ishgar and was one of the most sold out events ever to take place in Fiore. The king had literally had to build a new stadium to house the sheer amount of people who had demanded tickets to witness a single performance from the symphony. "And to be honest I didn't really want to take the invitation."

"What why?" Levy demanded, stepping forward and resting her hand on Lucy's arm reassuringly. "Lu getting an _invitation_ to play with the symphony is a once in a life time offer. Let alone being the conductors _first choice_."

Lucy sighed and shrugged. "I know, but it just seems like I'm using my mother's name to get myself into that position, not my own talent as a cello player."

"Lucy," Natsu said, his voice for once dead serious and she instantly turned her attention to him her eyes going wide at the serious expression on his face. "I've heard you play, granted it was a pop song but it was amazing. The talent you have with that cello and the way that you hold yourself is awe-inspiring. You become someone...different from who you are, more at peace when you play your cello and you can feel it in the song that you played. That conductor dude whomever he is didn't pick you because of your name, the guy picked you because he knew that if anyone could fill the seat of the idiot that wasn't going to be there, only you could pull it off."

Lucy stared at him silently before she smiled. "Do you guys want tickets?" She asked looking from one to the other. "The conductor offered me as many as I wanted since it was nearly a last minute invitation to play."

"Yes!" Levy shouted and jumped up and down excitedly.

"Uh," Natsu scratched the back of his head and shrugged his cheeks going slightly pink. "Sure, never been to a concert before."

Lucy grinned and nodded. "Levy do you want one for Gajeel?"

"Lucy," Levy said with a knowing smirk. "You're like a little sister to him, of course he's going to want one. Though he'd never admit that he does since he's way to prideful."

Lucy chuckled. "Yea, you're right. Alright so that means you two, Gajeel, Cana, Bacchus, Erza, and dad. That means that I need to request seven tickets." She said with a smile and pulled out her phone to send a quick email to the conductor. "Okay are we ready to hunt down some books?"

* * *

Levy was in heaven, that much Lucy could tell as she literally piled books around her, as if cocooning herself in the knowledge that was stored in the dusty tomes. Sure Lucy herself had nearly feinted at the sight of so many old books in this particular shop but it was Levy's reaction that had made the trek here worthwhile. So far they had been walking around Magnolia for at least five hours, hitting all of the bookstores that Natsu said weren't mainstream because they normally didn't carry any of the newer books. She turned her head to see Natsu with his arms folded looking out the window of the shop, not once had he complained about the hours that they had spent making him take them to all the stores he could think of. Hell he'd even politely declined Levy's hesitant offer to call it a day around the third hour. He'd claimed that he had had literally nothing to do all day so he was up for spending as much time walking around with them as they wanted to.

Turning she walked up to him and put her hand on his arm, startling him slightly.

"Yea?" He prompted arching a brow at her.

"I wanted to thank you for putting up with Levy and I for all this time." She said and motioned towards an oblivious Levy who had settled herself onto the floor with her stacks of books surrounding her. "I know it must have been more then a little boring to have to watch us nerd out on old books."

He grinned at her and shrugged. "It was a little boring at first, but then I started to watch your guys expressions when you would pick up a book and it kinda made the entire ordeal bearable." He said then froze his cheeks reddening as he realized what he said.

Lucy herself was taken aback by his bluntness and blushed a little before she chuckled slightly. "Is there anywhere that you wanted to go? We can leave Levy here, she'll be fine for at least an hour and a half assuming the shopkeeper doesn't want her to leave."

"Well," Natsu shrugged and looked away. "There is a comic book shop that I wanted to check out, it's not to far away from here actually. We don't have to stop there though, I can come back another time"

"You're into comic books?" She asked in surprise.

"Yea what about it?" He asked defensively frowning down at her.

"Nothing, I just wasn't expecting you to be into comics." She said and shrugged, turning she picked her way to Levy and tapped her shoulder, startling her friend. "Hey, we're going to go to a comic book shop, go ahead and stay here." She said and smiled. "We'll come back and get you when we're done."

Levy nodded and smiled. "Okay, thanks for the heads up."

Lucy nodded and turned, making her way back to Natsu she smiled. "Okay Comic Boy lead the way!" He blinked at her then grinned and turned nearly bolting out the door in his excitement. "Natsu!" She called rushing after him. "Slow down!"

"C'mon Lucy!" He called back, turning he raced back and grabbed her arm and started to run, dragging her behind him as he ran towards what she only could assume to be the comic book shop. Panting Lucy stared at the back of his head in astonishment, wondering exactly how he'd done such an about face from his gloomy attitude. "They put out the new volumes every Saturday! We gotta hurry because they tend to sell out fast! It's a good thing they don't open until three, we have five minutes to get there!"

"O-okay!" She said already out of breath as he dragged her down the streets at a dead sprint, ignoring all the affronted shouts they received in Natsu's haste to get to the comic shop. It was clear that he'd wanted the girls to have the best experience of Magnolia that he could have offered them, even if it meant that he'd been bored to tears throughout the experience. After all he'd kept quiet about his own boredom until just now when Lucy had decided to take a break with him from hunting down old tomes.

It took them roughly four minuets to make it to the front of the comic book shop and Lucy was bent over panting while Natsu practically bounced up and down in his excitement as he waited for the shop keeper to appear and unlock the doors. "So," Lucy said after she had caught her breath enough to talk. "What are we here for?"

"The newest addition of Fairy Tail!" Natsu said excitedly and turned towards her beaming.

Slowly she blinked at him. "I've, uh, never heard of it." She said after a moment.

He stared at her in horror. "You've never heard of Fairy Tail?"

Silently she shook her head and edged away from him as he continued to stare at her in horror. "What? It's not like I've had a lot of free time growing up. My daily schedule growing up was cello practice, school, homework, cello practice, house work then repeat. That doesn't include meals and bathing."

Slowly Natsu blinked at her then shook his head. "You have to come over to my apartment so I can get you caught up on all the volumes." He said and folded his arms when she opened her mouth to argue. "It's not up for debate, if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you to my apartment I will."

"Natsu-"

"It's open!" He exclaimed and turned, grabbing her arm pulled her towards the door where the shop keeper had just unlocked the door.

"Good evening Natsu!" The older man chirped happily. "I see you're here for the newest volumes of you favorite series! Oh! And who is this a new...friend I'm assuming?"

"Huh?" Natsu prompted looking confused as Lucy's cheeks reddened at the insinuation. "Oh, Max this is Lucy, Lucy this is the comic store owner Max. I've known him since I was fourteen."

"Nice to meet you." Lucy said and smiled before she yelped as Natsu jerked her towards the manga section without any warning.

"C'mon Lucy there's no time for flirting!" He grumbled irritably still holding onto her wrist.

"Um, you do know that you can let go of my wrist right?" Lucy prompted and pulled at his fingers.

"What?" He demanded turning to look at her and she held up her wrist clutched in his hand. "Oh, sorry, I guess it's a habit since you're so much smaller then I am."

Lucy's mouth dropped and she stared up at him. "What?"

He shrugged not looking at her. "I guess I'm not used to being around someone whose so much smaller then me and isn't so out there personality wise."

"I don't understand Natsu." She said frowning.

"Nevermind." He grumbled with a frown as he searched the shelves.

"Yo, Natsu I think the volumes that you want are still in the back, why don't you go back there and get them alright? I'll keep Lucy company." Max said appearing beside them and startling Lucy while Natsu grinned at him before racing off.

"I"ll be right back Lucy, don't wander off!" He called over his shoulder.

Lucy stared after him in complete and utter confusion.

"What Natsu meant was that the only other female people he has associated with in his entire life, aside from those bimbos whom approach him daily are Mirajane and her little sister Lisanna family friends of his." He told her.

Lucy nodded. "I've met Mira."

Max nodded. "Then you know that she has an abundance of self confidence that radiates off her, Lisanna is the same way. Its clear that the two of them can handle themselves in any situation that they are thrust into without a moments hesitation. But Natsu's confused when it comes to you because you are far more reserved then Mira and Lisanna and so he associates that with you being less confident in yourself and that you need to be protected and looked after all the time. That's why he's so prone to being close to you all the time." He told her and shrugged when she stared at him wide-eyed. "Don't take it personal, he'll eventually realize that you're not helpless and back off. He tends to be a bit dense in this regard."

Slowly Lucy nodded. "Um, okay. Do you have any manga recommendations?" She asked with a hesitant smile desperate to get off this very uncomfortable topic.

"Why sure." He said and rubbed his hands together in glee. "What types of manga are you looking for?"

"I've never really read any manga so I don't know what's good and what's not my thing." She said and shrugged, her cheeks reddening slightly.

"Well then, come this way and I can introduce you to the amazingly psychotic world of manga." Max said with a glee-filled smile.

* * *

By the time Natsu reappeared carrying a stack of manga's that he'd ordered as well as the ones that were newly released Lucy was, herself, sporting eight new copies of different manga's that Natsu could only assume that Max had recommended. She was laughing at whatever he had said as he rang up the books that she was purchasing as she leaned against the counter her head thrown back as she laughed. She had no idea that Natsu was standing in one of the isles just staring at her as she leaned on that counter, her golden hair shining in the evening sun that shone through the shop window. She was absolutely without question the most weirdest and gorgeous woman that Natsu had ever come into contact with. And there was no way that he was going to ever give up on claiming her for his own.

Taking a deep breath he squared his shoulders and made his way up to them, noting when Max spotted him but remained quiet. He peered over her shoulder at all of her selections and smirked when he saw the first volume of Fairy Tail. "So, I see you bought fairy Tail." He said startling her.

Lucy jumped and let out a squeak before she whipped around and stared up at him in surprise her eyes wide. "Natsu I didn't hear you!" She exclaimed softly before she blinked then blushed and shrugged as she realized what he'd said. "Max recommended that i get it because it's such a popular hit that he said I wouldn't be disappointed in it."

"Max does have good taste in manga." Natsu agreed then looked over the rest of them and nodded his approval. "You've still gotta come over so we can read even more. After all tomorrows Sunday so we don't have classes, you're not doing anything tomorrow right?"

She stared at him before slowly shaking her head. "N-not that I'm aware of."

Instantly Natsu's face lit up in a grin. "Great then you can stay until tomrrow!"

"Wh-what?" She stuttered as she took the bag that Max slowly slid towards her.

Natsu ignored the look that Max sent towards him. "Yea, you can come over and we can binge on manga and anime."

"At the risk of sounding really dumb..." Lucy paused then took a deep breath her cheeks turning a crimson red. "What's anime?"

Natsu stared at her for a moment before he shook his head. "You don't know what anime is?"

"Um, no." She said and shook her head glancing from Max then back before she shrugged and looked away obviously in embarrassment. "I haven't really had all that much of a life the past thirteen years."

Slowly as if not to frighten her he gripped her shoulders, concern in his obsidian colored eyes. "It's okay, Lucy, I'll help you. You're safe now, we'll introduce you to anime slowly and one series at a time until you can manage all on your own."

She stared at him before she glared up at him. "There's nothing wrong with me. Just because I don't know what anime is doesn't mean there's something wrong."

"But not knowing what anime is is blasphemy." Max pitched in and shrugged when she frowned at him.

"Not helping!" She growled.

"Well since I"m on Natsu's side I'm technically not going to be helping you with your point." He said and shrugged again as he rang up all of Natsu's items.

Natsu smirked at her. "I win."

She stared at him before she let out a growl and turned, marching angrily from the shop. Even when she was grumpy that woman was the most adorable person he had ever known, and eventually she would be all his.

* * *

Grumpily Lucy marched down the street then froze as she realized that she had absolutely no idea how to get back to the bookstore Levy was at. And there was no way that she was going to go back to the comic book shop and have to listen to Natsu tease her about almost getting herself lost. After all with her sense of direction that might actually just be what happens. She had lost count of how many times that she had gotten lost wandering around Crocus, and that was her hometown, she'd grown used to carrying around a GPS just to make sure that she wouldn't get herself into the mess that she was currently in right now. But no, Lucy just _had_ to lose her temper and storm off losing the one person that had any chance of making sure that she didn't get lost in a brand new city.

"Hey there sugar puss whatya doin' wanderin' around on your own!" A deep voice sneered at her.

Lucy sighed as she continued on, ignoring the catcalls that followed her. It seemed that no matter where she went she always without fail attracted the worst people towards her, even if she went out in sweats and a sweatshirt with her hair piled up on top of her head in a messy bun she was called out by men. She just hoped that this time they wouldn't pursue her.

But it seemed that luck wasn't on her side as she rounded a corner and ran face first into a man whom snickered and clutched her upper arms. "Hey there baby-doll where you going in such a rush?"

"Away from you." She retorted with a grimace as she yanked her arms out of his hold and moved to go around him only to gasp when his arm shot around her middle and yanked her back into him. "Get your hands off of me!" She snarled and went stock still as she noticed that it wasn't just him but a group of at least a dozen men whom were surrounding her. That was when she realized that she had somehow meandered into a much more...undesirable part of Magnolia. "This is your last warning," She warned them, her voice cracking like a whip. "I know martial arts and I will defend myself."

"Yea right." One of them sneered. "A blonde bimbo like yourself doesn't know martial arts."

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him then dropped her belongings and effortlessly threw the man holding her. She watched in satisfaction as he slammed into the one whom had just insulted her. Quickly Lucy readied herself for a fight. "Last chance if you don't leave me the hell alone I will defend myself accordingly."

"Really?" Another snarled and tilted his head, cracking his knuckled suggestively. "What the hell is one little bimbo gonna do against twelve of us? We out weigh you _and_ out man you. There ain't no way that you're gonna win this fight."

"I won't be to sure about that." Someone snarled from the opening of the alley and Lucy peaked around one of the men.

"Natsu." She breathed in relief then blinked in shock at the look on his face. Saying that Natsu looked pissed would have been an understatement compared to the pure unfiltered rage that was displayed on his face as his fist clenched around the handle of his bag.

"You alright Luce?" He called, his voice gentler.

"Yea." She said though she was still at the ready in case the sleazebags decided that they were going to attack anyway. "I'm fine."

"Why don't I come and see for myself." He said and started to move forward, deliberately slowly and threateningly. Each step he took sent wave after wave of a dark, rage filled aura through the alley that made several men shudder. It seemed as if his rage had literally taken on its own sentient life as it seeped from his every pore.

"I don't think so." The first man said and moved in front of Natsu, halting his progress. "Ya see, we found her first so we're gonna take her and leave. We ain't askin' we're tellin' ya. So ya'd best get lost before ya' get hurt pretty boy."

Natsu stared at him for a moment before his fist shot out connecting with the man's cheekbone and sent him flying, out cold. "Lucy ain't going with anyone but me."

Lucy stared at him in shock then she gasped when she was grabbed from behind. And that was when all hell broke out as the men attacked, though most of them converged onto Natsu, several of them pulling knives. She watched in horror as Natsu sprung into motion, agilely avoiding the knives he kicked out with a precisely timed kick that sent one attacker careening into another before he was spinning to avoid another knife that would have sliced across his abdomen.

"Worry about yourself Lucy!" He shouted, his attention focused on the men surrounding him. "Get away from here if you can!"

Instantly she felt herself being lifted up off the ground and carried backwards. For a moment she panicked before the years of training kicked in and she swung her leg back, hooking it in the mans and pulled, sending him staggering. Lucy threw her head back hearing a sickening crunch and a shout of pain as his hold loosened reflexively, Throwing her entire weight forward she broke his hold and flung her arms out, landing in a somersault before popping up and blocking the kick that was coming towards her face. She popped to her feet and landed a quick jab to one man's throat before pain exploded on the side of her face as another managed to land a punch to the side of her face.

Lucy staggered before she shook her head and turned, but by then the men were on top of her. Several pairs of hands were roughly grabbing her, attempting to pin her hands behind her back as she struggled. She threw herself into the one behind her causing him to stumble backwards and trip, taking her with him as he fell. Grinning she kicked out, nailing another man between his legs, a squeal escaping him as he crumpled.

Just as suddenly as she was falling Lucy was snatched away from the man and she watched as Natsu kicked out, knocking him out cold when he attempted to scramble back up. That was when she noticed that all the men whom had been attacking him were all out cold.

"Are you hurt?" He demanded, looking her over for any signs of injury.

"What?" She asked in confusion turning her face towards him.

"Did they hurt you?" He repeated, stopping to look at her face and his eyes instantly landed on her cheek his eyes going almost demonic with silent rage.

"Only here." She said reassuringly and reached up to lightly touch her cheek. That was when she felt something wet stick to her fingers and she pulled them away to see blood on her fingers. "Oh, his knuckles must have broken skin. My bag will have antiseptic wipes and bandages."

Natsu stared at her for a moment before he made a face. "Why do you have antiseptic wipes and bandages in your bad?"

Lucy blushed and gave him a wry smile. "I have a tendency to be a little clumsy from time to time and end up getting hurt so my dad always stocks my bags with bandages and antiseptic wipes."

Natsu nodded. "Lets get out of here, we can tend to your cheeks once we're away from these motherfuckers." He snarled and glared down at them as he helped Lucy back over to pick up her stuff while he raced over and grabbed his own bag. Lucy jumped when he slipped his hand into hers and pulled her away from the alley and back towards what she assumed was the more populated area as he pulled out his phone and texted someone. "I know a park thats slightly secluded from everyone so we can rest there for a moment so I can bandage your cheek. Its my fault that this happened." He said then last part murmured.

"Oh, you don't have to. I can take care of it. Natsu, none of this is your faults." She said then blinked in surprise when he stopped and swung around to face her.

"Yes it is." He snapped then looked away taking a deep breath. "When Levy found out that I was showing you around she must have told Gajeel because he tracked me down last night and told me how terrible your sense of direction is. I knew this and still I let you wander off on your own. It's my fault that you got hurt."

Lucy stared at him before she threw her head back and laughed, ignoring the pain in her cheek as she did so. "Natsu," She said after a moment, shaking her head. "Gajeel might have warned you that I have a terrible sense of direction, which is completely true, but there's no way that any of them could have known that I would lose my temper and storm off. I tend to do that, lose my temper and wander off that is, it happens a lot. Their used to it which is probably why Gajeel warned you so you weren't to surprised if I got lost."

"Yea but-"

"No." She cut him off squeezing his hand reassuringly. "When I said that I was clumsy was only part of why my dad stocks my bags it's also because I tend to somehow attract the worst people in every single town when I get lost. So when I would always come home covered in scrapes and bruises it was because I ended up getting cornered and had to fight my way out of that situation which is why I pushed to learn how to defend myself, I just told my dad I fell down or ran into something so he wouldn't keep me locked up in my room instead of letting me wander around Crocus."

"You wandered around Crocus on your own?!" He shouted.

Lucy jumped and stared at him with wide eyes. "Y-yea. What's wrong with that?"

Natsu stared at her with a strange expression. "How are you still alive? With your sense of direction it's a wonder you didn't wander off a cliff and fall to your death."

Lucy stared at him as he jaw dropped. "Rude!" She shouted. "That was the rudest thing you could have said to me!"

He shrugged and turned, pulling her towards the park. "But true."

"My dad has more faith in me then you!" She snarled.

"Let me guess your dad has the same sense of direction as you do?" He asked with a smirk as her cheeks reddened.

"Shut up." She snarled and glared at the back of his head as he turned and pulled her towards what she assumed was the park.


	6. Chapter 6

Lucy leaned back against the large oak tree that was partially secluded from the rest of the park. Reaching up she lightly touched the tips of her fingers against the band-aids that were currently covering the cuts on her cheeks, Natsu had been adamant on cleaning and dressing them the second that she had settled onto the grass. To the point that he'd practically snarled in her face when she'd argued with him that she was capable of taking care of herself. She'd been taken so far off guard that he'd been nearly finished tending them by the time she'd shaken herself out of her shock. Natsu had sat back onto his heels and stared at her for a moment before he'd grinned, back to his normally goof-ish self before he'd proclaimed that they'd both needed something refreshing to eat and drink after all that excitement before he'd launched himself to his feet and sprinted away calling out for her to wait there. Not as if she'd intended to move any time soon.

It had been so long since Lucy had gotten into that type of situation since she'd been carrying around a GPS to avoid just those things, so she'd forgotten just how worked up she would get after wiggling her way out of said situation. Because now her body was starting to shake with the pent up adrenaline slowly working itself out of her bloodstream. Closing her eyes Lucy sighed again and started to hum softly to herself, not realizing that she was humming one of her mother's most well-known pieces that she'd used as a lullaby for Lucy when she herself was a small child.

"Was that you're mother's?" Natsu asked softly, startling Lucy and she jerked her head up eyes popping open to see him standing in front of her his arms laden with food and drinks a curious look in his eyes. "That song you were humming it was your mother's wasn't it?"

Lucy nodded slowly. "Yes, she used to hum it to me when I was a little girl. It never fails to calm me down."

Natsu nodded and slowly moved closer, crouching down he let the items fall from his arms and Lucy blinked down at the horde of food that was now right in front of her. "So I wasn't sure that you liked so I kinda just grabbed a little of everything. Don't worry, what you don't eat I sure will!"

Lucy looked from him to the food then back. "Gods what are you a bottomless pit?" She demanded.

His cheeks turned slightly pink before he shrugged. "My mom calls me that from time to time."

"Well then it must be true!" Lucy exclaimed then sighed and crossed her legs so she was sitting tailor style so she could lean forward to reach the food. "Geeze you weren't kidding when you said you got a little of everything."

"I didn't know what you liked!" He cried and threw his hands up in the air. "Most girls are really picky about what they eat! Plus I was kinda hungry." He said ending in a slightly embarrassed murmur looking away.

Lucy stared at him for a moment before she threw her head back and laughed. She had been a little hesitant on bringing Natsu with them this morning when she'd woken up and got ready mainly because she didn't really know him and what she did know was slightly alarming, since he was Mr. Popular and all. But when she had exited the building and he'd been standing in front of her car holding not only a Starbucks cup but also one of the bags that they put their sandwiches or muffins in after ordering it. He's smiled at her and told her that he'd tracked down Gajeel and had managed to get her favorite drink and sandwich from him so he could have it ready in thanks for letting him join them today. And it had turned out to be one of the best things that she had decided in a long time, and it wasn't for the fact that he pretty much saved her back there. Lucy was starting to like Natsu, which terrified the hell of her.

* * *

Sighing Lucy walked around her car and pulled open Natsu's door so he could slid out of the car and onto the ground, almost as if he had turned to goo and was puddling there. She had nearly had to drag him to the car when it had been time to leave but he had been adamant on walking back to the apartments, and so Lucy had finally ended up bribing and begging him to get into her car before he'd finally relented and climbed rather grumpily into the car. The second she had started the car he'd instantly slumped over and groaned while making gagging noises and shooting her glares now and then.

"Okay, you're on solid ground now." She said reassuringly as she crouched and started to rub his back soothingly. "Think of all the spicy chicken wings I'm going to get you tomorrow."

He glared up at her from the ground. "You're evil, using food as a weapon."

"No," She shook her head and smiled. "Just as a bribe."

"What's the difference?" He growled and slowly pushed himself up so he was sitting on his knees with one hand resting on the seat of the car.

"Feeling better?" She asked after a moment, not realizing that she was still rubbing his back.

He nodded then took a deep breath. "Okay, I think I can get up now."

Lucy nodded and stood up, backing up a little to give him room to stand. "Take it slow, you don't want to make yourself sicker then you are."

Natsu grumbled as he slowly pushed himself to his feet and rested against the car, his forehead making a soft thumping sound as he let it drop onto it. "Gods why the hell did I let you talk me into that?" He demanded.

Lucy frowned slightly and cocked her head, she hadn't even thought of that. Why did he let her talk him into riding in her car? Yes she had bribed him, but it had only been with food nothing special, he had every reason to refuse to ride with her. Shaking her head slightly Lucy stepped forward. "I dunno, but c'mon it's getting late and we both still have homework to finish by Monday and I told you I'd go with you to run your errands tomorrow."

He nodded as he straightened, color slowly returning to his pale cheeks as he lifted his head and turned to look at her. "Yea, I'll meet you sometime around one okay?"

"That sounds perfectly fine." She agreed. "Do you need any help getting to your apartment?"

He shook his head and looked towards the building as he scratched the back of his neck. "Nah, I'm okay now, just needed to rest for a minuet before trying to do anything."

Lucy nodded and popped her trunk using her key fob before she went to it and pulled out their bags then extended his to him. She looked at him for a moment and tightened her grip on his bag when he reached out to take it from her. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

Slowly his lips turned up and he tilted his head to the left slightly. "Why? You worried about me?" He teased softly.

Lucy felt her cheeks heat up but she squared her shoulders and met his gaze head on. "And if I am?"

He blinked at her, clearly not expecting her to make that type of a response to his teasing. "Well, I...uh..." He blinked down at her and shrugged.

They stood there for a moment before Lucy took a deep breath. "Come up for dinner?"

He nodded slowly after a moment, his eyes wide in surprise as he stepped back, slowly pulling his bag from her hands. "Okay."

Lucy turned and shut both the door and the trunk then locked her car and headed towards her building, making sure that Natsu was following behind her. Lucy frowned as she faced forward, sifting through her keys to find the one that would get them into the building, she was acting...stranger then her normal self. She normally avoided nearly all contact with any person whom she discovered was at all popular with the masses, and yet here she was. Not only had she spent all day with Mr. Popular, but she was willingly inviting him into her apartment for dinner all without a seconds thought. She desperately needed to talk to Levy or better yet her aunt whom was known to be rather crass and critical when it came to Lucy. But she wanted to give whatever this was between her and Natsu time, probably at least three days before she called or talked to anyone in regards to anything.

"So," Natsu prompted when they reached the stairwell and started the trek up to her floor, she'd started taking the stairs now that Natsu came over nearly every day at least once with her after classes got out to pet Plue. "What are we gonna have for dinner?"

Lucy pursed her lips as she realized that she hadn't really thought that one through. "Well, I do have some steaks in the freezer that I can pull out and we can grill. I also have some green beans that I can saute with some onions and garlic and Parmesan, oh and I have some rolls that I need to use by Tuesday so this works perfectly."

"You don't have to go all out for me." He said softly.

Lucy turned her head and blinked at him. "But I want to." She murmured back as they continued to climb. "Aside from playing the cello and writing cooking and baking are my favorite hobbies."

"Okay." Natsu nodded slightly and scratched the back of his head. "Would you like help?"

Lucy slowly smiled. "I'd never pass up help in the kitchen."

* * *

Natsu sighed and leaned back against the door to Lucy's building, it was after ten at night and he'd just finished helping her put away the dishes from the dinner they had shared before she had walked him to the door and they had stood there awkwardly before he'd wrapped her in a hug before he'd rushed down the hall embarrassed. It was almost as if he were back in middle school and just finding out what it mean to be attracted to the opposite sex then. But now? Now he had absolutely no idea what to do with himself or what to say when he was anywhere near Lucy. His heart stuttered and his breath quickened whenever he thought or saw her. Never in his life had he been this awkward or aware around a woman. _Ever_.

Thumping his head against the door he pushed himself up and started for his building. Frowning as he lost himself in his analysis of what Lucy meant to him and why he was so awkwardly aware around her.

"Hey!" A deep voice called, startling Natsu and he jerked his head up, meeting Gajeel's red eyed glare.

"Yea?" Natsu called back as he moved slightly closer, arching a brow. "What's up?"

"You've been spending a lot of time with Lucy." The bigger man stated.

"Your point of that is?" Natsu prompted, curious as to where this was going to go.

"She's not your typical girl." Gajeel said and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I ain't gonna tell you anything that isn't my place to share, but I will tell you she's been hurt in her past so she's very reserved when it comes to men."

"She ain't towards you." He pointed out.

Gajeel shook his head. "I'm different to her, I'm like an older brother and she's a younger sister to me. That's been clear since day one. But you're different, when she discovered you're popular she's been more closed off when it come to you, and yet she's spending time with you. It's concerning."

"And why is that?"

"Ain't my place." He said and shook his head. "When she's ready, _if_ she's ever ready she'll tell you what happened and what it's done to her. Until then I'm warning you if you lead her on or do anything that is going to cause her any harm I swear to the gods I will beat you to a pulp. As will the rest of us. Lucy is precious to us in a way that you will never understand completely."

Natsu stared at him then frowned. "I'm never going to hurt her."

"Heard that before." Gajeel growled then turned and walked a few steps before he paused and turned partially back. "Lucy's life hasn't been all sunshine and stars like she claims, that's just been the last few years. Before that it was dark, far darker then you or I would ever imagine someone like her going through. But somehow she came out of it sane and determined to be happy. So don't fuck it up for her, don't lead her on and eventually break her heart. Cause we'll break you."

With that the bigger man turned and walked away, ignoring Natsu when he called after him.

Scratching the back of his he sighed. "Damn, if I wasn't so wrapped up in her I'd cut ties." He murmured then sighed again as he continued walking, pausing when he was almost to his building's courtyard entrance and turned his head, looking up. He smiled when he saw her light on in her apartment, knowing that she was practicing on her cello. She always practiced after she'd finished cleaning up from dinner and just before she went to bed, it seemed to help her fall asleep or something like that. Turning Natsu strode into his building knowing that he was a goner. This strange, intelligent, independent young woman had effectively wrapped him around her little finger, she'd stolen his heart. And all without realizing it.

Slowly he grinned.

She might not realize it but he'd make her realize it, but he'd do it slowly so he didn't scare her off or hurt her unintentionally.


	7. Chapter 7

Lucy sighed in exhaustion as she shoved her apartment door closed and locked it, she had been working her fingers and her sanity to the bone trying to hone her cello piece to perfection in time for her scheduled performance for her class, all the while trying to balance Natsu as he constantly pestered her to hang out with him or to meet his many friends. At first she hadn't minded, had even been a little excited at the prospect of meeting new people and possibly becoming friends with them, because she had had so few growing up. That didn't mean that she wanted to be constantly surrounded by people all the time like it seemed that Natsu had become used to. But as the deadline approached and she informed Natsu that she needed to focus more on her cello piece he seemed to either not understand what she was talking about or simply not care as he showed up at her door every evening, that is if he didn't catch her when she was leaving her class. He always tried, and most of the time, succeeded in dragging her off to somewhere when he managed to catch her outside her class, and when she was home he somehow weaseled his way into her apartment and didn't leave until well past the time that she normally went to bed at.

Her deadline and performance was only five days away and she didn't at all feel like she was ready to showcase it. Glancing at the clock she had hung onto her wall Lucy grinned, she had managed to get out of her prerequisite class half and hour early. Pulling her phone out of her bag Lucy dialed one of the three people that she trusted hearing her unfinished pieces.

"What do you need bunny girl?" Gajeel growled on answering.

"I need to come over so I can work on my cello piece." She said in a rush as she gathered up her music sheets and shoved them neatly into her cello case as she carefully grabbed her cello and the bow and set them into it before she closed the case and rushed towards the door. "Natsu's been coming over non-stop and I haven't had any time to practice and my performance is five days away."

"Fine." Gajeel growled. "Do you want me to meet you?"

"Yes!" She cried, gratitude thick in her voice as she pushed the call elevator button and waited impatiently. "Every time he sees me he drags me off somewhere and I never get home until it's to late to do anything other then eat something if I haven't already and then go to bed."

"I'm gonna be working my way towards your building." He sighed. "You really gotta work on telling him no."

Lucy sighed again and hung her head as she stepped in and pressed the ground floor button. "It's not like I don't, he just somehow manages to push and push until I cave and off we go, or he weasels into my apartment and then he doesn't leave. I honestly don't mind his company because he's so sweet and kind and funny, but I can't play in front of him so it's really frustrating."

Gajeel was silent for a moment. "Sounds like you like him." He said gently almost hesitantly.

Lucy froze and sucked in a breath and she knew that her cheeks went white at the realization. "No." She denied flatly. "No, I can't afford to like him."

"Why not Bunny Girl?"

"You know why Metal Head." She retorted with a snarl as she rushed from the elevator and out the doors, she wanted to be safely tucked away in Gajeel's building working on her piece before Natsu's class was even close to getting out.

"Lucy that shouldn't stop you from trying to find happiness." He grumbled softly, it was clear that discussing touchy-feely topics wasn't something that Gajeel was used to or even prone to engaging in. But it was also clear that to him that Lucy was like a sister and he wanted his sister to be happy, and if that meant he would have to do something that made him sweat then he would do it without hesitation. "Just because he is who he is doesn't mean that he's gonna turn out like _him_."

Lucy frowned as she rounded the building and headed towards the courtyard, her eyes scanning for Gajeel and any sign of a certain pinkette whom she was desperately attempting to avoid at least for a few nights. "Look, Gajeel, I know that Natsu might not turn out like that rat, but I also don't want to chance it in case he does end up becoming like _him_ because Natsu is a precious friend to me." She murmured back.

"Luce, it's been three and a half years since all of that went down." Gajeel rebuked gently. "I know that had a huge impact on your life but it's time to let the past go and move on. Give him a chance to prove that not every guys is like that dick."

"Not every guy is, I mean your not." Lucy murmured just loud enough for him to hear.

"I'm also not popular, Natsu is." He retorted. "I see you."

Pulling the phone away from her ear as he abruptly disconnected her eyes scanned the crowd then landed on him as he waved his arm to draw her attention. Picking up the pace Lucy nearly ran towards him and grabbed his arm, yanking him around and rushing towards his building. "That's why you don't understand, also because you just don't care, but the popularity of a person tends to change them unless they have a strong personality that can't be swayed with how much attention they are given by others."

"Look," Gajeel growled as he let himself be dragged back to his building. "I'm not saying that you should throw yourself into any relationship with the guy, all I'm saying is that you should give him a chance, get to know him and not throw up the brick walls that I can see your scrambling to build because you're scared. I've been watching the idiot since the night at the bar and he doesn't seem like the asshole type, he can be extremely hotheaded and really stupid at times, but he seems like genuinely a good guy. He's always surrounded by people, yes that's true, but there are only one to three women with the group and he's mostly talking to the guys ignoring the women. He doesn't like it when they touch him, he actually flinches away from them when they reach for him. Does he do that to you?" He prompted and stared down at her with his signature glare.

Lucy blinked in shock as she waited for Gajeel to pull open the door to his building after unlocking the door, she thought back on all the times that they had been around one another and how comfortable he had seemed when she had accidentally brushed against him either when they were walking or when she was reaching around him for something or passing something to him, then there were all the times that he had casually touched her when they were walking through a crowd to ensure himself that she was still behind or in front of him.

"No," She murmured and stared up at him with her eyes wide as she followed him towards the elevators. "He doesn't act like that at all around me."

"Even when you two are in crowds or with his friends?" He prompted arching a brow.

"No, he seems really comfortable with me touching him or him touching me." She murmured and shook her head. "When we're with his friends he normally sticks close to my side and has his arm around my shoulders or his hand on my lower back or he's standing with his arm brushing mine or he's nearly breathing down my neck because he's standing so close behind me."

Gajeel stared down at her, for once his eyes wide with shock as he just stood there before he looked around to assure himself that they were alone. "He really does that?" He demanded.

Silently Lucy nodded. "Why is that so shocking."

Gajeel shrugged and backed up a little. "I've never seen him act like that around other women, that's all."

Lucy stared at Gajeel then sighed as the doors swooshed open and they climbed into the elevator. "I just want to practice my cello and call it good for the night." She murmured softly.

* * *

Natsu was getting worried, probably more worried then he should have been but Lucy's class had let out ten minutes after his, more then enough time for him to get over here and meet her as she walked out or catch up with her if she had somehow gotten out a few minutes earlier. She wasn't in her apartment when he hadn't met her from the walk over or at the library which is where she sometimes went after classes. He had searched anywhere else she could have been that he could think of. He was starting to get seriously worried when he saw a flash or bright blue a little in front of him as he paced inf front of her building, letting out a sigh of relief he took off after the woman, tapping her shoulder when he caught up with her.

Levy let out a squeak and jumped, nearly dropping her stack of textbooks before she looked up at Natsu and smiled softly. "Hi Natsu how are you doing?" she asked.

"Good," He said with his own smile. "Do you know where Lucy is? I was going to meet her after her class got out but I seemed to have missed her and now I don't know where she is."

"Yea, she's over at Gajeel's working on her cello piece." Levy said. "I was going to head over there to study and give her some constructive criticism."

"Sweet, mind if I come?" He asked and gave her his megawatt smile that seemed to catch her off guard.

"I, uh, g-guess so." She said and blinked in surprise then frowned as if she weren't sure that had happened.

"Great!" He cheered and turned towards what he assumed was Gajeel's building. "It's that one right?"

"Yea." Levy sighed and followed after him murmuring to herself as she pulled out her phone. "Lucy's going to freak out." she murmured and Natsu frowned.

"Huh?" He asked turning to look back at her, pretending that he hadn't heard her.

"Oh, I was just muttering to myself about my homework." She said with another smile as she typed away on her phone.

"Ah, okay." He said and faced forwards, frowning to himself as he mulled over what she had murmured. _Why was Lucy going to freak?_ He wondered to himself as he waited and watched as Levy pulled out a key ring and unlocked the door and pulled it open for her when she went to open it. Natsu would by far be the first to admit that he had his tendencies to be a bit of an idiot at times, but there was one thing that he excelled in and that was his manners. After all the times he'd been wacked on the back of his head by his mother, father, older brother, and his extended family members they had seemed to drill the manners into him by brute force so now it was nearly second nature to use them. "So what are you going to be studying?" He asked.

"I have an exam in my mythology class as well as my ancient history class, a paper to write in my archaeology. All of it due next week." She said and gave him a grin when his eyes widened in shock as he stared down at her.

"Damn, I would be freaking out right now." He said and narrowed his eyes at her. "How are you not freaking out?"

"Because I"m a bookworm." She stated and shrugged. "All of this is towards my major so I'm shooting for a perfect score."

He blinked down at her then grinned. "I should come to you for help studying."

"We're in different majors, I don't think that I would be much help." She said and shook her head.

"Yea but Lucy's a bookworm too, but whenever I'm over at her place or she's at mine and we're studying I always get all of my work done and with enough time to actually hang out with her. I think It's the fact that I need to be around someone who is actually wanting to get some studying done instead of just mess around the entire time like some of my friends want to do most of the time." He said and shrugged. "That's my theory at least."

She stared at him silently as they moved towards the stairs since Natsu couldn't ride the elevator without getting sick. "You know that Lucy's working on a cello piece right?"

"Yea, she has to present it in like four days right?" He said and nodded. "She hasn't been working on it lately I'm a little worried for her."

"Well, has she talked to you about the one rule that her mother drilled into her since she first stared to play the cello?"

"No." He said and glanced at her in curiosity. "What rule would that be?"

"You never play your cello in front of someone that you don't one hundred percent know or trust. You never hand your work over unless it's a copy and you make sure that you keep the original and sign each page with your signature." She said and looked up at him as he stopped at a landing. "There are other parts to it but those are the main parts."

He stared at her then sighed and glanced up the sitars, understanding making his shoulders drop. "So she's avoiding me because she want's to work on her piece but she doesn't want to do that in front of me." He said softly.

Levy reached out and patted his arm, noting as he shied away from her touch slightly. "She doesn't mean any offense, Natsu, it's just..."

"I've only known her for a little under a month, she's known you and Metal Head for years now." He said and grinned down at her and shrugged. "Lucy's to nice to tell me to leave her alone, hell I'm surprised that I didn't pick up on the cues in the first place, I guess I was just to wrapped up in my own world to notice." He said and looked up the stairwell, his eyes longing before he took a deep breath and grinned at Levy. "Tell Metal Head that I'm sorry for causing this and that he doesn't have to worry anymore, tell Lucy that I'll see her tomorrow."

"Wait your not coming up?" Levy asked in surprise.

"If what you're implying is that she won't practice her piece in front of me because she doesn't really know me well enough for her standards, then she wont work on her piece in front of me and she needs to because her deadline is fast approaching. She needs to work on that more then I want to be around her." He said and shrugged.

Levy stared at him silently before she smiled softly. "You like her don't you?" She prompted.

His cheeks reddened and he looked away. "Yea, I do. She's...different then every other woman that I've met, she treats me like I'm just someone else that my popularity and my fight rank aren't just who I am and that my family being the second richest family in all of Fiore is something to make a huge fuss over. She treats me like a normal human being. Besides I like everything about her that makes her Lucy."

She nodded then started up the stairs. "What do you want me to tell them? I'm assuming you want me to keep this conversation between you and me."

"Please." He said then paused. "Tell them that something came up when we were on our way up the stairs and that I couldn't make it tonight but I'd see them tomorrow."

"Alright." She said then paused. "Thank you Natsu for being so understanding about the entire situation."

"It's not a problem."He said as he turned and headed back down the stairs, silently cursing himself for not picking up on all the subtle hints that Lucy must have been giving him for the past few weeks.

Yes Natsu wanted to get to know her and hopefully create a relationship with her that would last for, well for as long as his parents relationship was lasting since they had been married for thirty years now and were still going strong to this day. But so far it seemed that all he had done was screw things up for himself in his attempt to get closer and bond with her. To make matters worse he was already starting to hear rumors that the one person he didn't want to come back to MU was already en route back from the school trip they had been sent on as part of their major. And when they arrived they were not going to be happy about what they found. That much he knew for a fact.

Natsu sighed as he pulled out his phone and started a group text to all the people he truly trusted. He needed to build some defenses backing Lucy before it was to late and she was massacred in the shit-storm that was currently brewing.

* * *

Lucy stared at Levy in shock as she still held her cello and bow in her hands, she couldn't believe what she was telling her. Not only had Natsu ambushed her and pretty much weaseled Lucy's current location out of her, but only after pretty much tricking Levy into letting him tag along he had turned around and said that something had come up and the he actually wouldn't be able to make it. Never in all the weeks that she had known Natsu was he one to do that especially when it came to hanging out with her even when she didn't really want to hang out with him. After all she was far to nice to tell him that she didn't want to hang out at that particular time.

"So that's really all that happened?" She demanded, narrowing her eyes at her. "Nothing else, just that he stopped and said that something came up and he couldn't make it?"

"Yea that's it." Levy said and shrugged. "I was a little thrown off too since he always seems to want to be around you."

"Hmm." Lucy murmured and narrowed her eyes as she turned her attention back to her cello and shifted to get more comfortable before she shook her head. "I don't have time to wonder about that right now, do you want to hear what I have so far?" She asked.

"Of course!" Levy cheered and quickly settled onto the couch, pulling Gajeel down with her so that they would both listen and give her their feedback when she was done.

Lucy closed her eyes and played for them, her mind refusing to let go of of it's curiosity as to why Natsu didn't come to the apartment. Sure his excuse could be true, something really could have popped up, but she didn't really believe that because it was Natsu they were talking about. If something had come up he would have rushed up and explained in person why he wasn't going to be able to make it and he would set up a different time for them to hang out. _That_ he had had to do on several occasions, not just suddenly not show up and only pass off a message. It seemed far to strange to her.

* * *

Four hours.

She had practiced nonstop for four achingly long hours before Natsu spotted her walking across the quad (as he'd discovered it's name to be) waving goodbye to Levy as she headed towards what he assumed was a shortcut to the parking lot she'd left her car in that morning since she liked to meet up with Gajeel and then walk to class with him every morning. Pushing himself to his feet he turned partially towards the group of guys he'd been killing time with.

"Hey, I'll see you guys tomorrow I think." He said with a lopsided grin backing away from them.

"Ah c'mon Natsu you don't wanna go out for drinks with us?" One of them called, throwing his hands up into the air.

"Nah, let him go," Gray murmured with a sly grin. "I think a certain blonde snagged his attention away from us."

"As if your any better with Juvia." Natsu shot back with a smirk as the guys suddenly turned and started to rib Grey instead of him. Taking the opportunity Natsu turned and rushed away, shoving his hands into his pockets as he went.

He watched as Lucy looked up, her beautiful chocolate brown eyes searching the quad as if looking for someone. He held his breath as her eyes passed over him then jerked back so she was staring directly at him as she continued walking, nervousness filling him as she continued to just stare at him as the distance between them slowly shrank.

Slowly Lucy's lips tilted up into a smile as she shifted her cello case into her other hand so he could walk by her side. "Hiya Natsu." she murmured when she reached him, smiling up at him.

He felt his heart stop for a moment before kicking into high gear. "Hiya Lucy." He returned as he fell in step with her. "So how did your practice go?" He asked after a silent moment.

"Good." She said with a soft sated sigh. "It's been so long since I've played like that."

A pang of guilt hit him and he fisted his hands in his pockets. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked softly, staring down at the ground as they walked.

"Huh?" Lucy prompted, turning her head and looking up at him frowning in confusion. "Tell you about what?"

"That the rule you were taught was that you don't play in front of people that you don't trust one hundred percent." He said still staring at the ground. "Levy told me when I asked her why you haven't been practicing around me."

"Is that why you weren't there?" She asked, understanding filling her soft voice as she continued to stare up at him.

"Please answer me." He murmured just loud enough for her to hear.

She paused before she too looked down at her feet. "Because how can you say that nicely to a guy that is so sweet to you?" She prompted then sighed. "You were always so excited to see me after class and when you came to my apartment or wanted to hang out with me when I was walking on my way home. Your face literally lights up with this ear splitting grin and I couldn't bare to be the cause for it to crumble, not when you walk around with this serious look on your face all the time, or your frowning. It's nice to see you smiling now and then."

He frowned down at her. "When do you see me walking?" He asked.

Her cheeks reddened slightly before she shrugged. "Both of my writing classes apparently face the quad that you walk through to your classes I'm assuming."

"You watched me from your classroom?" He asked in surprise.

She shrugged. "It's not like my writing classes are doing anything overly exciting during the entire class."

"That doesn't matter though," He said and shook his head, pausing as he turned and gently stopped and turned her to face him. "Lucy you're cello piece is far more important then me smiling." He said and frowned down at her, his brows knitting together. "You haven't practiced in about a week and a half, I had time to think about it and it's been that long I think."

She stared up at him before she shrugged and looked away. "I know, but it's just... I couldn't not do anything when you're almost always frowning or glaring. But then you see me and your face lights up and it, well, it kinda relaxes me." She murmured just loud enough for him to hear. "Don't ask me to explain or anything, just accept what I'm telling you right now, okay?"

Natsu stared down at her in shock, not knowing at all what to say or how to interpret what she had just told him without excitedly freaking out which might just scare her away. "Okay." he finally said and took a deep breath. "Okay, I won't, but you have to promise me that you'll tell me when you need some time to practice and I'll leave you alone until you text me or I see you walking. Is that a deal?"

"Deal." She murmured softly.

"Good." Natsu said and took a deep breath and put a hop into his step. "So it's already late so going to the bar is out, what do you want to do Lucy?" He asked turning his head and grinned down at her when she looked up at him.

"I, uh, I dunno." She said and shrugged her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she seemed to become entangled in thought. "Have you eaten dinner yet?" She asked.

"Nope." he chirped with a lopsided grin.

"Well, I haven't either so do you want to come over and we can make something real quick?" She asked turning her head and looked up at him.

Natsu glanced at her from the corner of his eye and if he wasn't mistaken Lucy was holding her breath, almost as if she were nervous of his answer. "What are we gonna make?" He prompted and noted the releif on her face before she looked down at the ground as they drew closer to her building.

"Hmm, I have chicken in my fridge that I need to cook. So we can make something with that." she suggested.

"Chicken something it is!" he cheered and fist pumped the air, making Lucy giggle.

* * *

Natsu stretched his arms over his head and let out a yawn as he and Lucy sat on the floor of her living room their legs underneath the coffee table, their plates resting on its surface as they watched episodes of an anime that Natsu had gotten her hooked onto. They'd been sitting here for almost three hours just watching the anime, talking, and laughing at one another as they made jokes.

In all honesty the evening would have seemed really dull it he had been with someone else, but he wasn't with someone else. He was with Lucy, and it was never a dull moment when he was with her. Not since the first moment he saw her walking across the quad with Plue on her shoulders and the way she had laughed when the Metal Head had yelled at her.

Yea, he'd been a goner since that day. Now the only hard part was finding out a way to make her feel the same way and then tell her how he felt about her without making a mess of everything.

Lucy sighed beside him and slowly rested her head on his shoulder as she watched the anime.

Natsu's heart stuttered once before it pounded rapidly in his chest while his breath seemed to freeze in his lungs. "Hey," He murmured softly. "You aren't falling asleep on me now are you?"

"No," She murmured back. "Just getting comfortable."

"Oh." He nodded as if his mind wasn't racing at the thought of her getting comfortable against him. "After the next episode we should probably go to bed."

"Yea." She agreed with a soft sigh, she hesitated before her body tensed against him slightly. "Do you want to stay here tonight? Since it's so late and all."

"I don't wanna make you uncomfortable, you don't have an extra bed and your couch is a little small for me." he said softly, talking slowly so he could ensure that he didn't say anything that he would regret immoderately afterwards.

" The couch pulls out into a bed." She said softly, her body still tense against him. "Dad insisted that we get this one so that when he comes to visit he'll have a place to stay since Plue is dominating the second bedroom. He had more then enough room when we tested it out in the store and he said that it was actually quite comfortable."

Natsu turned his head slowly and looked down at the top of her head, a soft smile curling the corners of his mouth. "Alright," He murmured. "I'll stay."

"Okay." She said softly, her body almost instantly relaxing against him as she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

They sat there silently as they watched the rest of the episode and the one after before Natsu slowly reached out and picked up the remote to pause it on the end credits as Lucy slowly pushed herself up to her feet and stretched her arms above her head as she herself yawned before lowering her arms and tugging her shirt back down and looking down at him. "Alright, do you want to push the coffee table over there and I'll grab you some sheets and blankets so you don't freeze your butt off?"

"Sure." He said with a grin before he wiped a hand down his face as she turned and walked away, he had felt himself nearly break into a sweat at how absolutely stunningly adorable she had looked in that moment. Slowly pushing himself up onto his feet Natsu rolled his shoulders and took a deep breath before he looked down at the coffee table and at the spot that Lucy had pointed to. "Alright, lets get you moved." He murmured to himself as she rubbed his hands together before taking hold of the table and pulling it to the designated spot before turning back and looking at the couch.

He glanced over as Lucy came back down the hallway sheets, blankets, and a pillow in her arms.

"Wanna start pulling the cushions off of it?" She asked as she set the bedding down onto one of her arm chairs.

He nodded and moved back to the couch. "Where do you want them?" He asked glancing as her as she started to shake out what looked like a bottom sheet.

"Um, just pile them onto one of the other chairs, that'll be fine." She said as she set the sheet down and moved to help him. "Alright, now the guy showed me how to do this in the store but I wasn't able to because the dang thing is heavy then a ton of bricks."

"Show me how and I'll get it." Natsu said and stepped up beside her rubbing his hands together and staring down at the pullout mattress neatly tucked into the bottom of the couch.

"Okay," She nodded and pointed to the part of the metal bar that wasn't covered by the metal mesh. "Grab that handle and pull up then towards you once it comes up."

"Alright." He murmured and took hold of the cold metal and pulled up, grimacing at the weight of the thing. "God this thing is freaking heavy!" He grunted as he managed to get the mattress pulled up and then he grunted again as he pulled it towards him, his muscles straining before the pullout finally gave in and slowly slid out of it's holding.

"Okay now grab the bar coming towards you." Lucy instructed watched as he did as she instructed. "Back up a bit, that's going to be the middle support thing for the mattress."

He nodded and backed up, still keeping a hold of the bar. Slowly the mattress unfolded, two poles with plastic stoppers on the bottoms as if to keep it from causing scraps across the floor. He stepped back and looked at the bed then back at her. "Alright, that wasn't so hard, right?"

"Uh, no?" She said, though her voice was uncertain.

They stared at one another then threw back their heads and started laughing. Slowly the laughter died down and they just stood there staring at one another before Lucy cleared her throat and rubbed her hands up and down her thighs as if she were nervous as to what to do now.

"Why don't you help me get those sheets and blankets onto the bed and then we can call it a night." She said slowly, moving towards said bedding and grabbing the bottom sheet.

"Yea, of course." He said quickly and reached out, grabbing the corner that she extended towards him from the other side of the mattress. "So," He drawled as the tucked the corners under the mattress. "Since tomorrows Saturday, what have you got planned for the day?"

Lucy frowned slightly. "Ya know, I haven't really thought of what I was going to do tomorrow. I know for certain that I need to finish writing a couple papers that are due next week and then later I need to finish perfecting my cello piece, but that's not going to be until later in the day." She glanced up at him. "What do you have planned for tomorrow?"

"I, uh, have a match scheduled for three in the evening and I was wondering if you would like to go to watch." He said hoping it came out sounding nonchalant, his throat threatening to close with his nervousness.

"I don't think I'll be able to get good enough tickets to see the fight." She said and shook her head,a look of regret washing over her face. "Why didn't you tell me sooner, I would have per-ordered the tickets to make sure that I was there?"

"I, well, I didn't think that you would want to go, seeing as how you reacted when I got into that bar fight." He said and shrugged, scratching the back of his head as they finished fitting the bottom sheet to the bed.

"That was a _bar fight_ not a sanctioned fight where there will be referees to ensure that it's a fair fight between you and your opponent." She said and shot him a look. "Two completely different fights, I don't like bar fights because anything can happen and their almost never a fair fight, but in a sanctioned fight their always a fair fight."

He nodded then grinned at her. "Well, ya know since I am one of the fighters I always get front row tickets to each of my fights."

"How many tickets?" She prompted. "Gajeel and Erza were talking about how they wanted to see you fight since they were impressed by the way that you handled yourself in that bar fight."

"I always get get six tickets, the front row on my side of the arena. I already gave Gray and Juvia their tickets 'cause they like to go and cheer me on when I have a fight, same for when it's Gray." He said then reached back into his back pocket and pulled out the tickets and passed them to her when she turned towards him with wide eyes.

"Seriously?" She demanded and reached out, snagged the tickets from his hand and stared down at them as if in shock.

"Yea." He said as if unsure.

"Sweet!" She cried then looked up at him and grinned clutching the tickets close to her chest as if they were precious to her. "Thank you! I'm so freaking excited right now!"

Natsu grinned down at her. _You aren't the only one._ He thought. "Um, lets get this thing set up then I should let you get to bed."

"Right." She said then turned and darted into the kitchen and came back a moment later. "I put them under my coffee cup so I won't lose them."

He nodded and reaching out grabbed one of the blankets. "Lets get this thing done!"

Still grinning Lucy nodded and together they set about making up the rest of the bed in silence. Natsu glanced up at her as they finished tucking in the last one and his breath nearly hitched at the sight of the grin on her lips as she seemed to be vibrating with excited energy. "Alright and the pillow is down." He said as he tossed said pillow onto the now made bed. "Guess that means we should both turn in huh?"

"Yea, I guess it does." She agreed taking a step back and looking up at him. "Then I guess this is good night."

"Good night." He agreed.

"Oh!" She exclaimed and glanced down at his jeans and for an instant Natsu's heart stopped as he feared exactly what had caught her attention. "That's gonna be extremely uncomfortable to sleep in."

Letting out a chuckle as a way to release the tension running through him he rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't worry about it, it's not the first time that I've slept in jeans."

"Oh hush." She chided waving her hand dismissively at him as she turned and headed quickly down the hallway. "Dad insisted that he leave a few changes of clothes here for when he comes and visits, including pajamas."

Natsu let out a breath as she disappeared out of sight, that had been the first time in a long time-aside from all the times his family had been able to-that he had actually been actually terrified at what Lucy had been looking at when she'd glanced down at the front of his jeans because there were only two people in the wold that could make a certain part of him stand to attention. And seeing as one of them was a little less then halfway around the world and had pretty much ruined any and all chances between them, that left only Lucy whom was currently getting pajama pants for him from her bedroom.

"Okay, so dads not that much bigger then you so they should only be slightly loose." She announced coming back down the hall and extended the pants towards him. "So, goodnight."

"Goodnight." He returned after accepting the soft pajama pants and watched her turn and head back down the hall towards her bedroom.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself he quickly changed out of his jeans and into the pants before climbing into the bed. He lay there with one hand on his chest the other beneath his head as he slowly started to grin not only was he spending the night only Lucy's couch but she was coming to his match tomorrow evening and she was excited about it. She might not realize what this all meant at the moment, hell he'd been shocked at the amount of trust that she had shown just in offering to let him stay the night here with her and nobody else.

Slowly relief filled him as he realized that it might actually not be that hard to make Lucy realize that he wasn't at all like the perception of guys that she had developed.


	8. Chapter 8

Natsu paced in front of his locker running his hands through his hair as he tried to calm down. He never thought he'd be so freaking _nervous_ for a fight in his entire life! Well sure his very first one he'd spent most of the time getting ready with his head crammed in the trash can as he puked his brains out, that had not been a good time. And sure there was the time that he'd made it into nationals for the first time and he'd been a nervous wreck the entire week he'd been in Crocus waiting for his matches. But now Lucy was going to be in the stands.

Front. Row.

Cheering...for him.

Sure he'd been the one to give her the damn tickets, thus contributing to this damn conundrum he'd gotten himself into. But he hadn't thought she'd be so freaking _enthused_ about seeing him fight another person. And yet he'd seen her sitting right smack next to his **_parents_** in the front row chatting with Levy as they waited. And yea, that had ratchet up his anxiety to well beyond maximum because not only was Lucy here but she could possibly find out some really embarrassing crap about him if she found out that the couple next to her were his parents.

"What the hell are you doing?" A deep gravely voice barked behind him.

Natsu jumped then swung around. "Dad what are you doing back here?" He demanded, praying-in vain-that he didn't look as anxious as he felt.

"Your coach came and got me when he came to check on you and said that you were an interesting shade of green, and I do have to say it's a new color on you and not the best, boy." The older man said as he limped his way into the locker room. "So talk boy, what are you so anxious about."

"I'm not anxious." Natsu retorted and forced himself to turn back to his locker and pull out the wrapping tape and started to wrap up his left hand.

"Boy there's one thing that your mother and I hoped that you would learn in all the years that you've been able to talk and that is that you are not a good liar so you should _stop lying_." He snarled and stalked over and yanked the wrapping tape out of Natsu's hand and took over. "So, talk, what has you all anxious."

Natsu scratched the back of his head with his free hand as he watched his father's skilled hands deftly wrapping his. "Well, uh, there's, uh well." He paused and cleared his throat. "There's, uh, a girl here, that I, uh...like." he murmured.

"Speak up boy, my hearings not as good as it once was."

Natsu took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "There's a girl here that I like." He blurted.

He felt his father pause then continued. "It's not uh, what's her name is it?"

"No, it's not here." Natsu said and peeked up at him.

The man stared down at him, his black eyes staring down at him slightly narrowed. "Good," he said after a moment. "That girl was not right for you. So who is she?" He demanded.

Natsu shifted. "The blonde sitting next to mom."

Eyes widening the man tilted his head back slightly, shock in his eyes. "Her?" He demanded.

"Yea." Natsu said slowly. "Why?"

"Your mother knows who she is and has wanted to talk to her the entire time that we've been sitting there but is worried she'll scare her off." He said.

"Uh, how does mom know who she is?"

The man rolled his eyes and frowned down at him. "Your mother is very much into classical music you idiot."

"Oh yea." Natsu said and looked away feeling quite the idiot his father called him. "I forgot about that."

"Idiot." The man muttered as he finished wrapping that hand and switched to the other. "So, when did you meet her?"

"On one of the early move in days." He said then shrugged. "We just started running into each other from then on and became friends."

A derisive snort startled him. "Of course you just _ran_ _into her_." His father mocked. "Let me guess you stalked her to find out her routines then started popping up along them and inviting yourself to walk with her and such."

Natsu felt his cheeks redden and he frowned up at his father. "Well didn't you do the same thing to mom when you first met her?" He retorted.

The man's eyes widened and he scratched his head causing some of his flame red hair to stick up. "She told you that didn't she?" He demanded with with a chuckle.

"Yup."

"Well, then your more my son then I thought." The man muttered. "Anyway you need to calm your nerves otherwise your going to get your face wiped across the floor in front of your girl."

"Don't call her that." Natsu said softly. "She's not mine..."

"Yet." His father finished just as softly. "Why have you not closed in yet?"

"Something in her past jaded her against dating, against men in general." Natsu said and rolled his shoulders, gratefully realizing that just talking with his dad was relaxing him. "She and her friends don't feel as comfortable around me yet to share with me what happened to her with me yet. And if I push then I'm worried that they'll shut me out."

"The same happened with your mother and I."

"Really?" Natsu prompted.

His father nodded. "That's a story for another time." He said and patted his shoulder as he finished up wrapping his hand. "Right now you need to focus on your match and wiping that mans face into the floor."

Natsu straightened himself up and nodded. "You're right."

"Of course I am." He snorted and patted his shoulder again, this time a bit harder. "Now lets go or your coach is going to have a shit fit."

Natsu smirked. "Can't we just let him panic for a little bit longer."

His father threw back his head and laughed as he turned and headed towards the door. "Come on you little pink haired idiot, your mother will have a conniption fit I the man has a shit fit."

Grinning, and feeling more like himself Natsu followed his father towards the door, clenching and unclenching his hands as he readied himself for what was to come.

* * *

Lucy shifted in her seat as she waited for the match to start. She was starting to get restless, and normally she would work on homework or clean or even work on her cello piece if she got restless. But nope here she sat twiddling her thumbs, waiting for a match to start. A flash of movement out of the corner of her eye she looked over and watched a man with flame colored hair and black eyes stalk towards her with a prominent limp, his arms loose by his eyes but held with an air of a former fighter. After all once a fighter always a fighter, you could never really 'turn off' that side of a person.

"Hey Lu." Levy said beside her, tapping on her arm.

"Yup." Lucy said and turned towards her friend. "What's up?"

"Gajeel and I were going to go the concession stand, did you want anything?" She asked.

"Just something to drink and maybe a pretzel if they sell them." She said and reached down and grabbed her purse.

"Don't worry Bunny Girl," Gajeel said looking around Levy. "We'll get it this time, next time you can get it." He said and pulled a smirking, waving Levy away.

"Uh, okay." She murmured. "Thanks, I guess."

A soft chuckle startled her slightly and she turned to find the woman sitting next to her grinning at her. "Your friends are quite peculiar." She said her voice soft and melodic.

Lucy grinned. "Don't know how much weirdness you saw before I got here but you have no idea." She chuckled.

"Grandeeney." The woman said extending her hand.

"Lucy." She said and took the woman's hand and shook it with a smile.

"It's so wonderful to meet you, Lucy." She said then motioned around her. "What brings you to today's match?"

"Supporting a friend." She said. "And you?"

"My husband and I are alumni of MU and are both avid benefactors of the MMA teams so we try to make as many home matches as possible."Grandeeney said then reached over. "Speaking of which this is my husband, Igneel. Igneel this is Lucy."

"Nice to meet you." Igneel said reaching around his wife and taking Lucy's much smaller hand in his and shook it, his black eyes boring into her own. "Do you follow MMA sports?"

"You as well." She said with a grin. "Yea, my dad used to be one of the fighters and he has a couple of buddies who are coaches so we try to keep up to date as often as possible. This, ironically, is the first time that I'm going to be watching a MMA match in person."

"Really?" Grandeeney prompted then patted Lucy's thigh. "Then you are in for a real treat."

"The MU fighter is one of the best this school has to offer." Igneel said.

"Really?" Lucy prompted. "I shouldn't be so surprised, I watched him in a bar fight once and he was pretty impressive."

"Oh?"

Lucy looked over to see the couple exchanging a glance before the woman placed her hand gently on the man's hand. "I'm sure there's an explanation, darling."

"Uh, do you two know him?" Lucy asked after a moment.

"Igneel is one of the assistant coaches so he takes things a bit to...seriously." Grandeeney said reassuringly.

Lucy nodded then reached down to dig out her phone when it chimed. Pulling it out she chuckled as she read the text from Gajeel:

 _they don't sell whole pretzels here so your getting pretzel BITES and levy is freaking out over it_

Rolling her eyes she sent back a quick respond:

 _tell her that pretzel bites are fine and she doesn't need to freak out over it_

The respond was nearly immediate and packed full of Gajeel attitude:

 _I ALREADY TOLD HER THAT!_

"So how long does it normally take until the match starts?" She asked, turning her attention back to Grandeeney and Igneel after putting her phone back into her bag.

"Anywhere between forty-five minutes to an hour depending on when the setup is done." Igneel answered and shrugged. "They have a general start time but they can either run early or late so they have a buffer."

Lucy nodded. "That makes sense." She murmured.

"So are you a student at MU?" Grandeeney asked after a moment.

"Yup and I'm loving it." She said with a nod.

"What year are you in?" She asked.

"Freshmen."

"Ah so you're just starting to test the waters of what you want your major to be." Igneel said. "A truly confusing time."

"Nope, I've already declared." She said with a grin. "I actually declared my majors after I got my full ride acceptance letter from the board of acceptance."

" _Majors_?" Igneel demanded. "As in more then one?"

"Full ride acceptance?" Grandeeney murmured shock in her eyes. "You were given a full ride scholarship?"

Lucy nodded. "Myself and one of my friends were given full ride scholarships. They asked us what major or majors we would like to declare and so we did because we both know what we wanted to do with our lives."

"Pray tell what major have you declared?" Grandeeney asked.

"Masters in classical music and masters in historical literature." She said.

Both of them stared at her in shock. "Such difficult degrees." Igneel said admiration in his voice.

"Not so far, I'm sure that it'll become much more challenging as the years go but I'm determined." Lucy said with a smile.

 _"Ladies and gentlemen can we direct your attention tot he ring as we welcome in the contenders and their teams!"_ The announcer boomed over the loudspeakers. _"In the visiting corner we have Ajeel Ramal of Alveraz University! And in his own home turf introducing the one and only Natsu Dragneel!"_

The stadium exploded in cheers as fans went wild for their contender, Lucy and her friends among those cheering.

"Did we miss anything?" Levy demanded as she and Gajeel reclaimed their seats just moments later.

"Nope, they just announced who was fighting and now we're waiting for Natsu and Ajeel, I think his name was, to get into the ring." Lucy called over the cheers, reaching out she took the drink and container of pretzel bits Levy extended towards her. "By the way if they don't have whole pretzel's then pretzel bites are just as yummy."

Levy sent her a sour look as she plopped into her seat muttering.

Lucy chuckled as she turned her attention back to the ring and watched as Natsu's contender pranced into the ring his arms lifted into the air, his brown hair pulled back into a tight bun at the back of his head, his equally brown eyes scanning the crowd before they passed over her and then came back and he smirked at her. Slowly the man turned and headed back to his own corner to wait for the match to start.

"Uh Lu, correct me if I'm wrong, and I do _hope_ I'm wrong, but does he know you or something?" Levy asked leaning towards her.

"Not that I know of." Lucy said shaking her head as she frowned up at the strange man who smirked back at her. "Remind me to ask my dad about him."

"Will do!" Levy chirped as the crowd literally erupted as Natsu appeared in the tunnel leading from the locker room.

Lucy watched as Natsu climbed into the ring then turned and greeted the crowd, his infectious ear to ear tilted smile across his face as he lifted his arm and fist pumped before he looked down, his eyes locking with Lucy's and he winked down at her before he too moved to his corner. She blinked surprised at the much more...sedate way he'd greeted all of his fans, it was so contradictory to his personality that it was almost alarming. Never in the short months that she'd known him had Natsu ever done something this important with anything less then his full energy.

"If you're wondering why he's being so restrained it's so that he doesn't waste any of his energy before the match, after he wins he likes to go all out celebrating." Grandeeney told her, leaning over and putting a soft hand on her knee to get her attention.

"He doesn't get in trouble for that? Over celebrating that is?" Lucy prompted.

"No," The older woman said shaking her head. "It's completely acceptable to celebrate excessively after a match."

Slowly Lucy nodded and returned her attention to the ring as the announcer started to rattle off the stats of each fighter as the referee met with each person then brought them both to the center to shake hands and declare a fair fight. Lucy held her breath as there was that fleeting moment, a nanosecond really, of silence before the bell rang out and the referee jumped back and the match was on. It was almost as if someone had set off a percussion bomb in the arena, not a person was quiet as they watched the two fighters moving across the ring their fists and legs trying to land blow after blow while avoiding the other fighter.

Lucy fisted her hands against her thighs as she watched, perhaps the only person silent in the arena as she watched, she knew he'd win, there was no doubt with someone like Natsu that he would ever accept defeat at the hands of someone like Ajeel. A soft hand gripped one of hers and she slowly loosened it to grab hold of Grandeeney's and hold on as if for dear life. She wanted to scream at him, tell him to knock his contenders lights out, but a part of her knew that if he heard her cheering he would be distracted and try to do something elaborate and cost himself the fight. Lucy never wanted to be the cause of him to lose a match like this just from being here, for cheering him on. No she wanted him to _win_ , she wanted him to wipe the mat with the person whom dared challenge him.

She gritted her teeth when Ajeel's fist smashed into Natsu's cheek sending him staggering and then tumbling over. She narrowed her eyes as Ajeel turned his head, his eyes locking with hers before he smirked then turned his attention back to Natsu as the pinkette pushed himself back up to his feet and stalked towards him. She blinked as Natsu's fist moved in a blur of speed before it smashed into the other mans face sending him staggering. Putting on a burst of speed Natsu lashed out, landing hit after hit before the other man tripped on his own feet and landed hard, bouncing before trying to sit up then flopping onto his back.

Wildly waving his arms the referee intervened, effectively calling the match.

Spinning towards her Natsu threw his arms int he air and roared in triumph. Taking two large steps he reached the thick ropes of the ring and stepped up onto the bottom one to lean against the top three and lifting his arms int he air he roared again causing the fans to go absolutely berserk. She watched him silently before a grin slowly started to form and she started to laugh softly, shaking her head she let go of Grandeeney's hand and started to clap she pushed herself up so she was standing as she continued to clap.

Natsu's attention focused on her and he grinned from ear to ear before he elegantly bowed at the waist one arm out the other folded across his chest as if she were royalty. Chuckling Lucy curtsied back to him slightly, feeling her cheeks redden slightly as she continued to stare into his dark eyes. Moments went by before he turned and jumped off the ropes at the insistence of his coaches.

Lucy blinked as if she'd been in a trance, shaking her head she turned to find all of her friends staring at her, each of them grinning at her.

"What?" She asked narrowing her eyes at them.

"Nothing." Levy said ans shrugged. "That was just very _intense_ between you two."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Lucy growled angrily snatching up her pretzel bites and popping one in her mouth. "I was just congratulating him for winning his fight without uttering a word."

"Okay." Levy said as if to placate her.

"That was a spectacular fight wasn't it?" Grandeeney said after a moment.

Lucy looked over to find the woman staring at her, she grinned. "It most definitely was, it's certainly different being at a fight in person."

"I bet, would you and the rest of your friends like to come with us to the locker room to congratulate Natsu?" Igneel asked.

"Oh I'm sure he want's to shower and get his cuts dealt with before he sees anyone." Lucy said shaking her head.

"Nah," Gray suddenly pipped in. "He'll be fine with seeing all of us."

"If he says it's fine then it'll be fine Bunny Girl." Gajeel grated.

"Okay then, everyone gather your things lets go." Grandeeney chirped and clapped her hands together.

Lucy opened her mouth as if she were going to argue.

"Don't bother, she'll just drag you kicking and screaming." Igneel interjected. "Trust me."

Closing her mouth with an audible snap she reached down and grabbed her bag as well as her drink and exchanged a look with Levy as they all followed behind the older couple as they headed towards the locker room. A security guard held up his hand shaking his head as he took in the sight of all nine of them.

"You really _aren't_ going to let us in are you?" Igneel grated staring at the guard, and stared at the guard...and stared until the man cracked then stepped the the side and waved them through.

"Thank you Ted!" Grandeeney called. "Have a wonderful day!"

"I don't get paid enough for this." The man whimpered as they passed.

Lucy exchanged another look with Levy.

"Who are these people?" Levy whispered to her.

"Benefactors of the college MMA program, apparently their both alumni and he's a former MMA fighter. Apparently they try to make it to as many MMA home matches as possible." She explained and shrugged. "Their nice so, yea."

Levy nodded and linked her arm through Lucy's as they passed through the doorway to a hallway. They listened as the rest of their group talked about the match excitedly behind them. "So," Levy drawled. "That was a pretty intense fight wasn't it?"

t8Lucy shrugged. "I wouldn't know I've never been to a MMA fight before."

"Nope, but I do know that you follow them loosely because your dad has friends who are trainers." She said.

Lucy nodded. "Yea, but it's all different when your _at_ a fight, in person I mean. Everything's just...different I guess."

Levy nodded again. "So that was pretty intense after the fight the eye contact between the two of you wasn't it?" She asked slowly, almost tiptoeing through the question.

Lucy tensed then forced herself to relax. "Levy now's not the time for this conversation." She whispered softly.

"I know," Levy whispered back and nodded, her arm tightening in hers. "But it never is, sweetie. You have to move on and Natsu seems like he genuinely cares for you."

"He does." Gajeel grated behind them. "Just try Bunny Girl."

"We are going to shelf this conversation for another time." Lucy growled and shot him a look.

"Fair enough." He agreed while Levy just me nodded.

"And here we are!" Grandeeney announced as she came to a stop in front of a doorway and knocked on it. Seconds later it was pulled open.

"Well hello there," A woman answered. "Are you here to see the idiot?"

"Why yes, yes we are." Igneel answered while his wife frowned. "And we come with friends of his."

"Well, you might as well pile in, I know you two and you won't stop pestering until you see him."

"That's right!" Grandeeney chirped and strode gracefully into the room, Igneel close behind her.

Levy tugged on Lucy's arm to launch her into motion and heading into the room, she looked around taking in the lockers that lined the walls each one with different gear in them. Folding chairs were pulled out int he middle of the room, Natsu sitting in one of them looked over they filed through, a smile split his face and he pushed away the hand that was wiping at the cut on his face. "Hey, I didn't think you guys would make it back here." He said as he stood and strode towards them.

"Well, we were invited." Lucy said and motioned towards the older couple.

Natsu glanced over then froze. "Oh, you guys, uh, met?"

"Yea, we met, they told me their benefactors of the MMA program here." Lucy said then frowned at the look Natsu was giving them. "I have no idea what I missed but I get the gist that I missed something _huge_."

"Well, uh, guys meet my parent's. Mom, dad meet Erza and her boyfriend Jellal, then there's Gajeel and Levy, and now Lucy." He sand rubbed the back of his neck.

Lucy's eyes widen, and her eyebrows go up as she felt color rush into her cheeks. "Oh, you're...parents."

"Yup." He said and gave her a sheepish smile. "I honestly didn't think that they would be here."

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "So you don't want me to meet them?" She asked.

"Not what I meant!" He said shaking his head.

"Darling, no guy ever wants to introduce a girl to his parent's like this." Grandeeney interjected gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Besides it was a last ditch decision on our part to be here, the fault is really ours. Right darling?" She asked looking back at her husband.

Igneel rolled his eyes. "Yes darling, the fault is completely ours." He drawled.

"There, you see no harm done." She said and smiled at Lucy. "It was lovely to meet you, Lucy. I do hope that you stick around, Natsu needs more friends whom are as genuine as you in his life."

"Mom!" Natsu barked.

"Grandeeney, lets not embarrass the idiot to much tonight." Igneel murmured softly.

"Alright," The woman said rolling her eyes. "We should be off then before I say something that will drive my son to an early grave."

Growling Natsu hung his head before he sighed. "I'll stop by for Sunday brunch this weekend mom, I promise."

"Good, we'll be expecting you." She said as she allowed her husband to guide her from the room. "Oh, and bring Lucy with you, it'll be wonderful to have another woman to help me in the kitchen!" She called as the door closed behind them.

Lucy blinked in shock, slowly she met Natsu's eyes. "Was I just invited to Sunday brunch at your parent's house?"

"Uh, yea." He said nodding. "It's okay if you don't want to go, I'll explain it to them that you just had to much going on and-"

"It's okay I'd actually like to go." She said softly, nodding.

Natsu stared at her his eyes widening. "You would?"

Lucy nodded again and smiled. "Yea, I would. Your parents were really nice and I enjoyed talking with your mom. Although your dads a little, uh..."

"Intimidating?" Levy offered.

"No," Lucy said shaking her head and frowning at the smaller woman. "He's just a little gruff."

"That's better then what I was thinking." Natsu said with a smirk.

"Well I am pleased that you had the restraint to keep it in your dimwitted head." Erza growled frowning at him. "Now, why don't we leave you to get cleaned up and then Jellal and I will take you all out to celebrate you victory against that ill-fated competitor."

"You don't have to." Natsu said and rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks reddening. "It was just a normal match, nothing to important."

"Pish posh," Erza said waving her hand as if to shoo away his objection. "Every victory puts you closer to nationals my dear boy, and thusly we are to celebrate every win and mourn every loss." She declared.

"Thusly?" Levy parroted softly, leaning in to whisper it to Lucy.

"Mm-umm." Lucy said shaking her head and shrugging. "It's Erza, best roll with it and hope she don't turn that laser like focus onto us."

"Yea, your right." Levy agreed with a nod of her own.

"Seriously," Natsu continued shaking his head. "You-"

Lucy stepped forward and slapped her hand against his mouth. "That sounds lovely, what he's trying to say is that it doesn't have to be anywhere fancy. A cafe or diner would be great. Right Natsu?" She prompted and took her hand off his mouth, turning her head to smile up at him.

He stared down at her surprised. "Uh, yea sure, I guess."

"Fantastic!" Erza cheered and clapped her hands together, startling the coaches and medical staff in the room. "Then we shall take our leave and let you clean up. Meet us by Lucy's dorm and we shall determine where we are going!" She ordered as she ushered everyone out of the room.

"Okay." Natsu murmured.

* * *

Natsu sank back into the chair he'd been sitting in and zoned out as the medical started to clean his cuts again. He frowned as he thought back to the match and how that asshole Ajeel had looked at Lucy, it wasn't that he'd looked at her but it was _how_ he'd looked at her. It was as if the guy knew a secret about her that nobody should know and he had wanted to use that against her in some way. No Natsu didn't like that at all. If anyone was ever going to know secrets like that about her it was going to be him and him alone. But he didn't want to just come out and ask her if she knew the guy, that would probably just make her at little more wary about giving him a shot with her. And Natsu was _not_ going to jeopardize all of the hard work that he'd done wiggling past her defenses and making a place for himself in her life.

"Relax your face boy, your making it difficult for them to address your wounds." His father growled.

Natsu looked up, forcing himself to relax. "I thought you two had left."

"Not a chance boy." Igneel growled, his arms folded across his chest. "I wanted to talk to you about the girl."

"Lucy?" Natsu asked blinking in surprise.

"Yes." Igneel grated then strode forward. "You all can leave, he doesn't have a concussion and I can take care of the rest."

"Yes sir." They all murmured and beat a hasty retreat.

Reaching down the older man grabbed a pair of gloves and pulled them on as Natsu hooked a chair with his foot and pulled it over so his father could sit while he took care of his wounds. "So, when and where did you meet her?"

"Her move in day was a few days after mine. She lives in the building directly across from mine, same floor and our decks are directly across from one another." Natsu said and grinned. "I saw her when she was going to meet up with her friend Gajeel so he could help her move in. She had an iguana across her shoulders."

Igneel paused and stared at him as if he were stupid. "That's why isn't it?"

"No." Natsu said shaking his head, his humor gone, replaced by something...tender. "The reason why is because she's just...different from everyone else, Lucy is just Lucy." He said and shrugged. "She doesn't try to be miss popular or miss know-it-all, or miss 'i am the hottest in the world'. She just is herself, the most kind, intelligent, sincere woman I've ever me. Don't tell mom I said that. Plue was just an added bonus"

Igneel stared at his son before he smiled. "You've already fallen for her haven't you boy?"

Natsu stared at his father for a long time before he nodded. "I have," He admitted softly. "And it scared the shit out of me."

"Good," Igneel said. "That means that it's genuine. If it didn't scare you I would have told you to let it go and move on."

"Why?" Natsu prompted with a frown.

"Because a girl like her deserves someone whom will truly care for her. Someone who will look at her as if she is the air that he breathes, that if she is not in his life that he can no longer go on living because without her smile and her laughter life would be to dull to bare, that hearing her voice is akin to hearing the sweetest of sounds, that every moment you spend apart from each other is a moment that you will forever mourn." Igneel told him, his gravely voice softening and a tender smile gracing his lips. "I found that with your mother, Natsu, and I have prayed that all of our children find it as well because it will make all of you better people."

Natsu stared at him and slowly he smiled. "Lucy, she's like that for me already dad." He murmured.

"Then why is she not your girl yet?" He demanded. "We would like grandchildren sometime in our lifetimes!"

Natsu snorted out a laugh before he sobered. "Something in her past jaded her towards men, it took weeks for her to trust me, but she's started to. I think she actually does like me but I don't want to ask any of her friends because they will protect her if they think that I am not right for her. I'm really glad that she has friends like that."

Igneel slowly nodded. "Tread carefully, my boy, your mother had friends like that when I courted her and they damn near killed me when they thought I had cheated on her."

Natsu frowned at his father. "You cheated on mom?" He demanded then yelped when Igneel slapped him upside the head.

"You idiot of course I didn't!" He bellowed. "Didn't stop them from beating the shit out of me!"

"Alright, alright, sorry." Natsu grumbled rubbing the spot his father had hit.

"Go shower and get dressed and I'll put bandages on the cuts." His father growled. "Use the antibacterial soap."

"Yea, yea I know." Natsu grumbled rolling his eyes as he headed towards the showers.

* * *

Lucy wrapped her arms around herself as she shifted from foot to foot, it was cold as hell outside but they'd promised that they would wait for Natsu outside her building and it would take way to much time just for her to go up and get a jacket. She'd already been in Magnolia for a few months and she still forgot that the temperature dropped pretty drastically by nine. She dreaded to think of what it was going to be like in the winter time and that was only a few months away.

She jumped when something warm wrapped around her shoulders followed by the smell of summer, a warm and welcoming earthy scent that made her feel as if she were laying in the middle of her backyard sunbathing. Relaxing almost instantly she turned and smiled up at Natsu. "What took you so long?" She teased softly.

"Had to shave my legs." He teased back with a smirk.

Lucy snorted as she slid her arms through the sleeves of his jacket and pulled it closed around her. "So shall we get going?" She asked turning back to the group.

"Yes we shall!" Erza declared. "Since you two are the only ones who live over here you two should ride together and the rest of us can carpool."

"Sounds good," Natsu chimed in before she could protest. "So where are we gonna meet?"

"That little cafe a few blocks away from Fair Tail is actually really good, it's open until midnight." Levy said and grinned sheepishly. "I go there sometimes when I need to study and I get hungry."

Gajeel frowned down at her. "You can always come over to my place if you get hungry Levy." He chastised.

She smiled up at him her cheeks reddening slightly. "Thanks for the invitation."

"It was a fact not an invitation." He retorted.

"Okay!" Lucy interjected when Levy frowned. "The little cafe a few blocks away from Fairy Tail it is! C'mon Natsu lets go since you and I are riding together. Meet you guys there, drive safe!"

"You too!" Juvia called back.

"So whose car to you wanna take?" Lucy asked as they headed towards the parking lot.

"We can take mine." Natsu said as he jammed his hands into his pockets.

"Okay." Lucy said softly as she snuggled deeper into Natsu's jacket.

"So," Natsu murmured after a moment of silence. "How'd you like going to my match?"

"It was a lot different then watching them on TV." She said. "I liked it, though I was worried there for a few minuets."

"Yea," Natsu chuckled and lightly bumped her shoulder with his. "I was too."

"Really?" She asked and looked up at him.

"Nah," He said and grinned down at her, amusement sparkling in his eyes. "I wasn't worried int he slightest, I had everything under control."

"Really even when you fell?" She persisted.

"Even then." He said with a nod. "He just caught me by surprise. He's got a pretty good right hook."

Lucy laughed and shook her head. "I would have been freaking out. I know your mom and I were on the same page."

"And that was?" He prompted.

"Worried, we were worried that you wouldn't be able to get the upper-hand when you fell." She said and shrugged when he looked down at her. "What, like I said it's different when your at a match in person, it's way more stress inducing."

He nodded. "Mom has never really liked coming to matches cause they worry her."

"Then why does she?" Lucy asked.

"What didn't your mom ever go to your concerts when you were little even if she was worried that you would make a mistake?" He asked with a frown.

Lucy looked down. "My mom died a few weeks before my first concert ." She murmured softly. "She never got to see me play."

"Oh shit Lucy." Natsu murmured and gently stopped her and turned her to face him. Gently tilted her face to look up at him he gently held her shoulders so she couldn't pull away from him. "I'm sorry Lucy, I forgot. She would have been so proud to see you play like you do. I haven't seen you play something that isn't a hip-hop song but that is absolutely amazing."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, I know you didn't mean anything by it. I'm just glad that she did get to hear me play and she loved every moment of it, she always said that it made her feel better when she heard me practicing so I made sure to practice a lot."

"I am sorry."

"You don't have to be." She said and shook her head, reaching up she gently laid her hands on his forearms. "But thank you." She said then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. Closing her eyes she relaxed against him as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

"I promise I won't ever say something like that again." He swore.

Lucy smiled against his chest and tightened her arms slightly. "Okay." She stood there for a few more moments before she pulled away and stepped back. "We should get going before they start blowing up our phones demanding to know where we are and if we're okay."

"Agreed." He said while nodding.

Together they turned and continued on towards the parking lot.


End file.
